Right Where I Belong
by LauGS
Summary: Kurt and Rachel finally arrive to New York, where not everything is as easy or amazing as they'd imagined, especially they next door neighbor, a shy and mysterious boy named Blaine Anderson.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I hope you are all doing great and as excited as I am for tonight's episode! Maybe this will help to entertain you as you wait :)**

**So, this little story, intended as a short one-shot (which I failed at) was an idea I received via message on Tumblr, so I can't take credit for it. I'd like to dedicate this to Jeanne and thank her for helping me to start write again after Not Alone, because I was a little blocked and couldn't find a way to write a new story. Thanks for trusting me to write what you had in your mind. I hope I did well!**

**My amazing beta helped a lot, as usual, so a huge THANK YOU to Wutif too. You should check out her stories because they're great and I can't stop reading them!**

**I don't own Glee or any of the recognizable characters (all of them, actually). All of it belongs to Fox, Ryan Murphy and I'd like not to have to deal with paying any rights because I don't have a job right now, so be nice to me, okay? Title is from the song "I Got You" by Nick Carter. Don't judge me and listen to it, the lyrics have a lot to do with this story.**

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><p>A pair of deep blue eyes looked up at the building and then down at the mountain of boxes that were starting to pile up on the sidewalk. Kurt Hummel sighed, he wished moving day could be finally over so he could relax with a nice hot shower and the latest issue of <em>Vogue<em>. But they still had too much to do so, with a rueful glance at Rachel, they nodded and started picking up their stuff.

The building where they were going to live wasn't exactly fabulous, but the two friends had decided to reduce their expectations of a fancy lifestyle in favor of actually being able to afford moving to New York.

"It'll only be for a couple of months anyway," Rachel had said back home at Lima, as Kurt helped her pack her clothes, covertly sliding some of her animal sweaters under the bed. He loved the girl to death, but her taste made Kurt nauseous. Literally nauseous. He wanted to puke every time he caught a glimpse of those sweaters. Or her dresses. Or her pantsuit. Actually, he could just puke _on_ them. "As soon as I land my very first lead role on Broadway, we'll get a new, much bigger place."

He hadn't contradicted her. Kurt hadn't felt like crushing her hopes, though he knew it was probably not going to work out that way. The boy had a better vision of the real world, even though his dreams were as big as Rachel's. He just was more used than her to having them shot down.

There wasn't an elevator, so they had to climb three flights of stairs to their brand new apartment. Well, _brand new_ was actually a figure of speech, because there wasn't anything new about it, they noticed as soon as they opened the door, though they were never more excited to unlock a door before. The walls needed some paint and the kitchen cupboards seemed pretty close to falling apart. But it was their home now, and they didn't care. After so many years of dreaming about the Big Apple, they were finally there.

Rachel put the box she was carrying down on the floor as Kurt did the same before jumping into his arms, hugging him with all the strength she had (and it was quite a lot, surprisingly, considering how small she was).

"We've made it, Kurt, we're in New York!" She said, her brown eyes bright, her smile wide, as she clapped her hands like a two years old. "Can you believe it?"

Kurt took a look around. The apartment was in dire need of his decorating skills, but it was already beautiful to him: this was a place where he could be himself. The ghosts of the past few years, the teasing, the pain, the odd looks… they were all in the past. Kurt Hummel was free.

"Not really," he admitted, taking her arm to tuck into his. "Come on, now. I want to finish with this as soon as possible so we can start actually _living_."

They went down again to the street. The moving truck was parked right in front of the building's entrance and their boxes (actually most of them were Kurt's) were scattered all around. The guys from the moving company were now trying to get the few pieces of furniture they had taken with them out of the truck.

It was a beautiful morning; the sun was shining high in the sky, with not a single cloud to darken it. It was a reflection of Kurt's mood: he hadn't felt so happy and unconcerned as this in years. When he lowered his blue eyes again, he discovered they weren't the only ones moving in: there was another truck parked behind theirs. They were lowering a table and a couple of chairs under the attentive gaze of a young man that had his back to them. Kurt could see his dark, gelled hair and the outline of his shoulders covered in a black polo shirt, before he turned around. Kurt found himself looking into two beautiful hazel eyes but before he could inspect him anymore, Rachel's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Oh! Our first encounter with a neighbor!" She walked straight to him. The guy looked at her with raised eyebrows. Very triangular eyebrows. "Hello! My name is Rachel Berry, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Uhm, hi," he said, a bit confused, taking the hand she was offering him. "I'm Blaine, Blaine Anderson. Nice to meet you, too."

"Isn't moving day exciting? And we couldn't have asked for a better weather! Can you imagine dealing with all of this if it was raining? I'm so happy that we are…" Rachel kept talking, as Blaine seemed more and more dazed, his hand still caught in hers.

"Rachel," Kurt interrupted, tapping her on the shoulder. "You're scaring him. If you don't stop, he'll move right out of here."

Blaine looked at him with a grateful smile, his gaze lingering on him a bit longer than usual as Rachel retrieved her hand. Blaine offered his to Kurt immediately.

"Hey, I'm Blaine," he repeated and Kurt had to hold back a laugh. The guy was certainly adorable.

"So I've heard," he replied, a mischievous grin on his pink lips. "I'm Kurt."

"Kurt," Blaine echoed, as if he was testing the sound of it on his tongue.

Kurt noticed the other boy was a little shorter than him and very, very attractive. He was about to say something else when Rachel suddenly screamed, after one of the moving guys dropped a box to the ground, making the distinctive loud crash you hear when something fragile breaks.

"Oh my God, be careful!" Rachel said, walking away from Kurt and Blaine and towards the uninterested employee, who was already turning back to the truck. "That had better not be my Broadway records collection! I swear I'll cut you if you…"

Kurt didn't pay any more attention to her ranting. He was quite used to it by now.

"She's intense," Blaine observed. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"To say the least," he sighed as he leaned down to grab another box. Rachel was now yelling something that sounded a lot like _you're lucky those were only kitchen supplies!_ while she kneeled next to the neglected box.

Blaine picked up a chair and followed Kurt inside as Rachel stayed behind, making sure her precious Broadway record collection was treated gingerly as required. They started climbing up the stairs in that awkward silence strangers share when they have no idea how to talk to each other, until Kurt couldn't take it anymore, so he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"So… which floor are you on? We're in 3B," he said, as they arrived at the third floor and pointed at the door.

"Really? I'm in 3C!" Blaine answered, a huge smile spread on his face, as he took the keys out of his back pocket. They reached Kurt and Rachel's apartment first, so Kurt went inside as Blaine walked to next door. Rachel came running up the stairs and into the living room with another box held tightly against her chest.

"All my Barbra things are in here, I wasn't going to leave it down there with those monsters for another minute," she explained when she saw Kurt frowning at her.

Over the years, Kurt had learnt to almost love his friend's antics, so he just smiled at her as he made his way outside again.

After what it seemed forever, all the boxes and the furniture were in the apartment. They had shared several more moments with Blaine as they all worked together, but he had much less stuff than them, so he finished faster. Finally, Rachel and Kurt closed the door behind them and looked at their living room, overrun with things to be unpacked. Without saying a single word, they both ignored them all and dropped onto the couch. Rachel rested her head on his shoulder.

"We're in New York," Kurt whispered after some minutes of silence.

"We're in our own apartment," she added in the same reverential tone.

"We're starting college in two weeks."

"We're going to start looking for jobs and auditioning for plays tomorrow."

"We're not in Lima anymore."

Kurt could feel tears stinging his eyes, but he wasn't going to cry. _No more crying_, he said to himself. _You cried enough back in Ohio, now's your time to laugh, to smile, to be happy_. It felt weird being here, knowing this was where he lived now, knowing he wasn't a kid anymore and he had to face life on his own. He already missed his dad, and Carole and…

"I miss Finn," Rachel muttered as if she had read his mind.

"I know," Kurt answered, holding her with one arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry he decided to stay."

"When we started dating again last year, I already knew we were going separate ways eventually. I just didn't know it would hurt so badly," Rachel spoke much quieter now. It was obvious she was still affected by the fact Finn had decided to attend OSU and work with Burt at the garage. For a while, the prospect of him living in New York with her and Kurt had sounded wonderful. It had sounded possible. It had sounded like a dream come true.

But Finn was pursuing other ends, he wasn't interested in the fame and glory of Broadway like Rachel and Kurt were. He wanted to play football and be near his family and take some time to decide what he really wanted to become before taking such a big step.

"Maybe he'll come, someday," Kurt said, thoughtfully. "He's not like us, Rach, his dreams aren't the same as ours. We've always known what we wanted, but Finn was never as confident as we are."

"I guess," Rachel sighed again and then looked around the room with a tired expression. "We should really go back to work. We won't have much time to get this place ready if we want to get a job before classes start."

Kurt nodded. That was the plan. That was the reason they had gone to New York two weeks before classes actually began. Their parents were helping them financially as much as they could, but living in the big city wasn't cheap and if they wanted to stay there permanently, they needed jobs and they needed them soon.

Rachel already had a long list of auditions she wanted to attend and she was sure she could get a part easily. Kurt, on the other hand, though he had dreams just as big as hers, knew his voice wasn't for the conventional male leads, so he would have to settle for minor parts until the right opportunity came along. But as much as he loved performing, his heart was in fashion, and that's what he was going to study at FIT, while Rachel was going straight to Julliard.

They got back to work. Rachel started unpacking all the boxes as he moved the furniture around (yeah, it would have been great to have Finn there). Each of them had their own room and Rachel took all of her boxes to her own and Kurt's to his to clear space in the tiny living room. They talked about the changes in the apartment they wanted to make, promising to spend their first salaries on the apartment as soon as they got jobs, before breaking into song (it was a pretty cool version of _For Good_, considering Kurt sang his lines of the duet while pushing the couch against the far wall).

It was late afternoon when the apartment started looking quite decent. It still needed a lot of work and Kurt's bedroom was still a mess (he needed to hang his clothes in the closet stat). Rachel said she was going to go try to find a grocery store to buy some food so they could have a delayed lunch. Kurt took the opportunity to sit on the floor in his room, where he started opening some of his boxes.

The very first item he grabbed was a portrait. There was a woman smiling at him from an old picture, a woman with the same blue eyes he had and beautiful long hair. She was holding a baby in her arms, as if she were holding the most precious thing in the world. Kurt smiled sadly at his mom, wishing she could see him now, and how far he'd come, before setting the frame on the nightstand. The next picture he found was one of Burt, Carole, Finn and him taken just a few weeks ago. They had gone on a family vacation for the first time. His father looked so happy and Kurt couldn't remember the last time he had heard him laughing so much. He was glad that now that he was hours away from his dad, Burt still had people who loved him around. He was glad he still had a family to count on.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he continued with the contents of the box. Most were his scrapbooks, pictures of his friends, letters and a couple of books that he couldn't fit in the box where he had put all his other books. When he was done, he moved to the next one and opened it. As soon as he took a glance inside, he knew something was wrong.

There was also a picture there, but he didn't recognize any of the people in it. It was a rather large group of boys all sitting together in a room with wooden walls and leather couches. They were all wearing uniforms, blue blazers and ties. Kurt frowned in confusion, wondering if it belonged to Rachel and if it did, where had she met all those guys. The mystery was solved when he found a not-too-familiar face looking back at him with a polite smile on his lips. The hazel eyes were friendly and he seemed very comfortable being surrounded by those boys. Friends, maybe?

Kurt knew he had to take the box over to Blaine's and explain to him that it must've gotten mixed up while both moving companies unloaded their trucks, but he bit his lower lip, fighting the curiosity. There was something about his new neighbor that demanded his attention. Kurt was done with having crushes on straight guys and he didn't need to start his new life with another heartbreak, so he decided he wouldn't let his thoughts wander towards Blaine in that way. But the guy was nice and maybe they could… become friends? At least trade a hello and a goodbye when they saw each other on the stairs?

Before he could stop himself, he started digging through the contents of the box. There were a couple of issues of a sports magazine, some CDs (_Katy Perry? Seriously?_), a cell phone charger and a notebook. He grabbed the notebook feeling slightly guilty. Just one page. That wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

Songs. Music. That's what Kurt found when he opened it to a random page. He didn't dare to read them (he imagined how he would feel if someone read something he wrote) but he didn't need to in order to know what it was. He closed the notebook and put everything back in the box. Picking it up, he made his way to the front door, deciding to return his belongings to Blaine so he could finish in his bedroom before Rachel came back, even though that sounded impossible. Just organizing his wardrobe was going to require a lot of time.

He opened the front door and held back a scream of surprise. Blaine was already there, his hand half raised in the air as if he had been caught just as he was going to knock. He also had a box in his arms.

"Oh, hey," Kurt said breathlessly.

"I see we both had the same problem," Blaine pointed towards his own box in Kurt's arms. "I knew something was wrong when I opened this up. I don't own that many scarves."

Kurt sighed in relief. His precious scarves. He would've died if he had lost them. "Yeah, and I've never worn a uniform to school," he showed him the framed picture on top. "You went to a private school?"

"Yeah, Dalton Academy," Blaine answered with a little nod.

"Dalton?" Kurt frowned, thoughtful. "Sounds familiar. Where is it?"

"In Westerville, Ohio?" Blaine offered.

"Are you kidding me? We're from Ohio, too!" He exclaimed, his voice suddenly rising too high. Blaine laughed and Kurt cleared his throat a bit embarrassed. "What are the odds, right?"

"I don't know, it's kind of weird," Blaine's smile was really beautiful. Kurt couldn't stop noticing it. It didn't mean he was attracted to him, though. It just meant he wasn't _blind_. "What part of Ohio do you guys come from?"

"Lima, we went to McKinley High," he answered.

"Oh, so that's where you and Rachel met?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, we were together in our school's Glee club for the last three years."

"I was in Glee club, too!"

They looked at each other with wide eyes before bursting into laughter. Kurt discovered Blaine's laugh was also beautiful… and then he pushed the thought away.

"Well, this is getting pretty weird, huh?" He commented, leaning against the door.

"You're right," Blaine agreed. He parted his lips to say something else, but Kurt's cellphone started ringing in his pocket.

With a little apologetic smile, Kurt put the box down and reached for the phone. He saw it was his dad calling and felt his heart warming inside his chest.

"It's my dad, I really need to take this," he said as he bit his lip regretfully. He really liked talking to Blaine.

"No problem, we can keep finding similarities another time," Blaine left Kurt's box on the floor and picked up his. He waved goodbye as Kurt took the call and walked back to his apartment.

"Hey, Dad!" Kurt said enthusiastically and then he got lost in the conversation, standing by the window to look outside as he told his father how the first day in New York had been. He looked at the buildings, the busy streets, the people walking around… it was all so full of life, he could feel so much freedom floating around in the air…

After hearing the latest news from his family (not much had happened in the last twenty four hours, Burt assured him, though Finn had managed to break the fence in the backyard playing football with Puck, so he was now grounded and expected to repair it himself the very next day), he went back to his bedroom, carrying the box of scarves with him and wondering, though it sounded improbable and kind of dumb, if he and Blaine had ever seen each other before back in Ohio. Kurt sighed; he was sure it didn't matter. None of what he had left behind, except for his friends and his family, mattered anymore.

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><p>Blaine closed the door behind him and set the box down on the floor. He sighed as he looked around at the empty, messy apartment. It was too empty and too messy, but he couldn't help feeling like he was finally home, and he hadn't felt that way since his graduation. He remembered the hallways of Dalton and the shared dorm room with much more love than he remembered any other place he had ever been. Here, he was free. Here, he could do whatever he wanted. Here, he still felt like a stranger, but he was used to it by now.<p>

The silence seemed to float in the air, as if it was a tangible object, heavy and overwhelming. Blaine had a long history with silence. In his life, he had found that the wordless, soundless moments could be a blessing. It was better than listening to his dad yelling or his mom asking him to _please_ stop what he was doing, what he was becoming. As if he had made a choice, like he had chosen to be a disappointment to everyone.

But now the silence didn't seem like a blessing. It was oppressive and uncomfortable. Blaine was in a brand new place all by himself and though that was the way he had wanted things to be, he still couldn't get over how _lonely_ he was.

And then a voice broke through the silence, all the way from the other side of those paper thin walls. Kurt's voice. It was muffled and low and he couldn't make out any words, but it was him. The voice was unique and Blaine was sure he could hear it in the middle of a crowd and still recognize it. He felt his heart warming up a bit and a small smile graced his lips.

Blaine sat down on the floor and ten minutes later he was still just lying there, hazel eyes locked on the ceiling, listening to the murmurs that were slowly fading away. Kurt's conversation was dying down and then another voice broke into the silence, Rachel's. Both started talking and laughing…

Blaine closed his eyes, smiled and imagined a day in which he would feel as happy as they sounded.

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><p>That morning, just like every other morning since they had arrived, when Kurt woke up, Rachel was already gone so he didn't have to fight her for the bathroom. It seemed like a good sign for their much new life as roommates. He got in the shower, did his moisturizing routine and had a cup of coffee and then put on the outfit he had chosen the night before: black tight pants and a white dress shirt with his favorite pair of black shoes. He would've liked to add a scarf or a vest, but it was going to be a pretty hot day and the idea of sweating was too gross. He grabbed his messenger bag, checked himself in the mirror one last time and then went out the door.<p>

Kurt was very realistic, he didn't have much work experience, except for some summers or weekends when he had helped Burt at the garage, so he knew getting a job wouldn't be a piece of cake. He decided to go to a couple of auditions, just to try it out and see what it was like but also apply to other jobs, less glamorous and more boring, but probably easier to get.

But he wasn't expecting to be turned down at eight different interviews on the same day, without even counting the two auditions that had been a _disaster_. And that made a total twenty three rejections that first week. He had hoped to get at least some positive feedback, but he couldn't remember anything but negative words coming out of his interviewers mouths.

It was nearly four in the afternoon when he walked back to his apartment that Friday. He was stressed out, tired and hungry and just wanted to lie down on the couch and complain to Rachel, just because he knew she would be telling him he was an idiot for feeling like this. They both knew it was going to be hard, they both knew it was going to take some time, but this was what they wanted. What they had been waiting and planning together for over a year. He should be grateful.

And Kurt was definitely grateful. He had just felt like he had to grow up in a couple of days, with the moving and all the new worries that entailed. He was opening his eyes to a brand new world and he was going to have to learn how to live in it the best he could.

Kurt was lost in this train of thought when he turned around the corner of his apartment and suddenly collided with someone. He was very close to face planting but caught himself in time, looking up at the huge guy he had run into. He was probably as tall as Finn, but he couldn't find any of his brother's kindness in his face. He smiled in apology.

"I'm sorry," he muttered gently.

"Look where you're going next time, you little twerp," the guy snapped as he tried to walk past Kurt, who was trying to evade him, so they were pretty much dancing awkwardly around each other without succeeding.

"I said I'm sorry, I didn't see you. There's no need to be so rude," Kurt answered, frowning, displeased.

"Shut up and move out of my way," the Finn-esque man raised a hand to shove him.

"Geez, why don't you…"

"Excuse me," another voice interrupted, and Kurt felt a hand on his elbow. He was pulled to the side to clear the path of the giant, who scowled at him. Kurt turned to look at Blaine, surprised. "No need to get into an argument, the sidewalk is big enough for all of us."

Sighing in annoyance, the guy walked away. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"What a moron," he muttered.

"He was way bigger than you, I thought it wasn't a good idea to see how much more annoyed he could get," Blaine explained and they started heading together to their building.

"I should thank you, I guess," Kurt admitted. "I was directing my frustration at the wrong guy."

"What happened? Why were you trying to get into a fight with a giant?" He asked, as he opened the door for Kurt.

"Bad day," Kurt rubbed his eyes, longing for a shower and an iced tea. And food. Any food. "I can't believe my first week as a real New Yorker was such a disappointment."

"Sorry to hear that. I'm sure it'll get better, though," Blaine smiled at him comfortably while they started climbing up the stairs. "Would you like to tell me about it?"

Kurt was searching for his keys in his messenger bag, so he didn't look up at Blaine as they stood next to their doors. "I really don't want to bore you with my… damn, where are those keys?"

"Maybe you forgot them when you left?" Blaine suggested. "Isn't Rachel home to open the door for you?"

"I don't know," Kurt answered. He knelt on the ground and started taking things out of his bag. Blaine looked at him, surprised. He had never seen anyone carry so many things around before (seriously, who had two hair spray cans in just one bag? How messy can your hair get?). Before Blaine could say anything else, Kurt was picking up his cellphone and dialing Rachel's number. It went straight to voicemail. "Great, her cellphone is off. She must be busy."

Blaine moved his weight from one foot to the other, a little uncomfortable and unsure. "Uhm… would you like to come into my apartment and wait for her there? Or maybe we can go back to the street and see if you dropped your keys on your way here?"

Kurt was now sitting on the floor, his eyes closed and his head back, against the door. "My shoes are killing me," he whined in a tiny voice.

Blaine couldn't help but smile. "Okay then, come on, you can wait with me for Rachel and you can take your shoes off."

He offered his hand to Kurt, who looked at it for a few seconds before actually taking it. They both felt the electricity running through their fingers, going up their arms and sending shivers down their spines. Blaine stopped breathing and looked down, while Kurt's eyes went wide as he looked at the other boy. Neither said anything, thinking the other hadn't noticed.

Blaine let go sooner than he would have liked to and searched for his own keys. He opened the door and let Kurt go in first. He pointed towards the living room.

Kurt walked in and looked around. It was exactly like his own apartment, but it seemed much emptier. Clearly Blaine wasn't done unpacking yet, because there were still a couple of boxes lying on the floor. He only had an hideously ugly couch, a small table with two chairs and a desk with a laptop on top of it.

"Make yourself at home. Would you like to have something to drink?" Kurt's stomach decided it would be an opportune moment to growl. "Or eat?" Blaine added, grinning.

"Please. I've only had two cups of coffee the entire day," he replied, blushing a bit because, hey, he didn't really know this guy (a guy who was very attractive, actually) and he was sitting on his couch, taking his shoes off and asking for something to eat.

"I have some pizza from last night, would that be okay?" Blaine offered after peeking into his fridge.

Kurt wouldn't normally agree to have pizza just like that, but he nodded enthusiastically this time. "That'd be great."

Blaine put some slices on a plate and poured two glasses of water before joining Kurt on the couch. "Sorry, I need to go grocery shopping."

"It's fine, I'd eat pretty much anything right now." Kurt bit the cold pizza and had to hold back a moan of satisfaction. It was really good. "I'd be glad to cook something for you once I can get back into my apartment again."

"Oh, don't worry about it."

They ate in silence for a few minutes and Kurt didn't really mind because he was pretty busy shoving pizza in his mouth. When he finished, he sighed in contentment, grabbed his glass of water and sat back against the back of the couch, watching Blaine wipe his hands on a napkin.

"So, you came to New York to study or…" Kurt said, curiously.

"Yeah, I'm starting at NYU," Blaine answered with a little smile. "I want to major in Music."

Kurt remembered the notebook with the songs he had found the previous day and wasn't surprised at all. "That's really good."

"I know, I'm very excited to start. I was considering Education for a while, but decided to give this a try first," Blaine explained.

"You'd like to be a teacher? That's impressive. I don't think I'd have the patience for it," Kurt said with a crooked smile and Blaine laughed softly.

"I like kids," he shrugged. He watched Kurt for a moment, both without saying another word. It was obvious that under that nonchalant surface, Kurt was still upset about something. "Do you want to tell me what made your first week in the city so terrible?"

Kurt took a long sip of water before answering. "I've been trying to get a job, but I don't think I'm good at dealing with rejection." He put the glass down, without looking at Blaine. "And that's actually really stupid, because I've been rejected my whole life, so I should be used to it already. I guess I was hoping New York would be different from Lima."

"It's just your first week here, thing's will eventually pick up," Blaine said, his head slightly tilted to the side, looking at Kurt with interest.

"Probably. But… you know, it just got me down," Kurt shrugged and decided he didn't want to talk about it. "What about you? Do you work or…?"

"I do," Blaine said, standing up to take the dirty dishes and glasses over to the kitchen sink. "I know one of the teachers in NYU and she knew I was going to need a job when I got here, and she pulled some strings for me, so I work at the university's library. That's why I came here two weeks earlier."

Kurt also stood up to help, but Blaine stopped him with a meaningful look, so he just started walking around the living room, looking at the still packed boxes. The one he had returned to him was there, still open, the picture from Blaine's classmates catching his attention again.

Drying his hands on a kitchen cloth, Blaine stood beside him, both of them looking at the image. Kurt noticed the smile on his face wasn't very joyful anymore, so he put the portrait down and leaned against the desk to look at him. "Memories?"

"Lots of them," Blaine picked the frame up again and put in on the corner of the desk, displaying the picture almost proudly. "Dalton is a boarding school. I lived with most of those guys for years. They were my family and I'll miss them. We're scattered all around the country now."

"That sucks," Kurt pointed out. He crossed his arms over his chest. "So, you don't know anyone in New York?"

"Not really," Blaine replied. His voice had gone softer so Kurt wondered if had struck a nerve there. He decided to change the subject immediately.

"Well, since I'm here and you have to put up with me until Rachel comes back, do you want me to help you unpack?"

"Oh, it's really not necessary, you shouldn't…"

"I must say I'm very organized and I have amazing decorating skills, so you shouldn't decline that quickly," Kurt interrupted, cocking up an eyebrow. Blaine's smile was warmer again.

The smaller boy sighed in defeat. "Fine, since you insist…"

Both started working together, making small talk (_I went to this amazing café when we came here for Nationals last year, you just have to go someday_ or _this place would look so much better with a light green color on the walls_) and just killing time without actually feeling awkward or bored. They soon found out how easy it was to talk to each other, how many things they had in common and how much each enjoyed the other's company. Two strangers bonding over the simplest things.

Kurt soon noticed the Dalton boys' picture was the only one Blaine had. There was an complete lack of photographs showing family members or girlfriends. It seemed as if all the objects coming out of the boxes were nothing personal, as if they had no value attached to them. Random stuff Blaine had thrown in there to carry around with him, but all of them things he could get rid of without a second glance. It made Kurt felt unexpectedly uneasy.

Looking for the right words, he opened up his mouth to ask about it, when his cellphone started ringing inside his messenger bag. He quickly walked back to the couch where he had left it to answer.

"Hi," he said as soon as he saw Rachel's name on the screen.

"Hi, Kurt! I'm almost home, are you there yet?" She asked.

"Not really. I'm at Blaine's. I lost my key and couldn't get in, so I'm here waiting for you," he explained.

"Oh well, I'm coming up the stairs, see you in a minute!" And with that she hung up.

Kurt shoved the phone into his bag again. "She's here already."

"Great, well, thanks for helping me with this," Blaine smiled and looked around the room. All the boxes were unpacked; he only had to put everything in its place.

"No, thank you for letting me hang out here while I waited. It's been nice," Kurt admitted, feeling the blush coming up his cheeks. Why was he even blushing, though? He was such an idiot. "We should have dinner. You know, together. As a thank you."

Blaine, surprisingly, also blushed. "Oh, there's no need, really, it was my…"

"Please? At my place? Tomorrow?" Kurt looked at him with deep blue eyes and Blaine felt his heart melting at the sight. He knew right there and then that he wouldn't ever be able to say no to that boy.

"Okay, that sounds fun," Blaine agreed as he walked Kurt to the door. They smiled to each other until noise from the hallway caught their attention. He opened up the door to find Rachel putting her own keys into the lock. "Hey, Rachel."

"Well, hello there, Blaine! It's so nice to see you again. Thanks for taking care of my boy while I was gone," she directed him a dazzling smile as Kurt went to join her.

"No problem," he answered with a nod. "See you tomorrow."

Kurt watched the door closing as Blaine disappeared behind it. He told his heart he shouldn't be this excited, but the crazy rhythm pounding against his chest seemed to think otherwise.

* * *

><p>This wasn't a date. At all. But Blaine felt as nervous as if it was. Maybe it was because Kurt was the most beautiful boy he had ever seen and every time those stunning blue eyes locked on to him, Blaine felt his heart doing this funny syncopated thing and his whole world seemed to stop...<p>

"This is ridiculous," he said to his reflection in the mirror as he washed the rest of the shaving cream off his chin. "Don't be ridiculous, Blaine. Having a crush on him is the last thing you need right now. You have enough on your plate..."

Sighing in frustration with himself, Blaine left the bathroom. He was used to being annoyed with himself. It was a common thing for him, especially growing up with his parents, who never had anything nice to say about their son. Or at least for the last few years of their relationship. A relationship that didn't exist anymore. He had no family now.

Blaine couldn't understand why that made him feel so bad. He was better off, right? He didn't need a mother who looked at him with disgust, a mother who had stopped talking to him when he was fourteen years old, except when it was strictly necessary. He didn't need a father who called him every name in the book, who had told him he was glad he had gotten beaten up, that everyone should beat him until he stopped being such an abomination. Those weren't real parents, right? Those people shouldn't be allowed to have kids at all.

He needed to stop thinking about them. He had a new life and, as hard as it was, this was better. There was no way he was gonna let thoughts and memories of them ruin what he could have now.

Blaine walked into his bedroom and searched through his still unpacked suitcase for some clean clothes to put on. He needed to buy lots of furniture for the apartment. He didn't have a bed, so he slept on a mattress on the floor. He didn't have a closet to hang his clothes in; Blaine had been given a certain amount of time to _get the hell out_ of the Anderson household and he hadn't managed to gather many of his belongings before his dad was closing the front door in his face. He had spent a couple of nights at his friend David's house and, as humiliated as he felt, he had accepted some money from him so he could move to New York. David's mom even told him he could take anything from the basement he might find useful. Those were the few pieces of furniture he had scattered around the apartment. And here he was now, pretty much broke, completely unused to this kind of lifestyle, but feeling relieved. Because he wasn't caged anymore and even though life was hard, at least he was free to _live it_.

Blaine knew very well he didn't have a chance with Kurt, but they could be friends and that's all he needed for now. He just needed to feel less alone and he had to admit the other boy's company was more than pleasant.

He walked out of his apartment and knocked on the next door. The smell of cooking flooded the hallway and Blaine's stomach growled in anticipation. After a week surviving on pizza and fast food, this would be a nice change. Blaine smiled, waiting to see those amazing blue eyes as the door opened.

But he was met with Rachel's huge grin.

"Blaine! Welcome, please come in," she said as she grabbed his elbow and forced him inside.

"Uhm, thanks, Rachel," he mumbled, hesitant, while she closed the door. The girl was wearing a dress that seemed vintage, vintage as in, from her grandmother.

"We are so excited to have you here for dinner," Rachel continued, as she guided him to the couch. "You're our very first guest."

Blaine felt his heart sinking a bit in his chest, but he didn't allow himself to feel disappointed over the fact that Rachel would be there too. It didn't really matter, he remembered, because _this wasn't a date_.

"Can I offer you something to drink? Though no alcohol, of course. We've had a very bad experience during a party in our junior year and since then..."

"Rach, why don't you let Blaine breathe a little and stop scaring him?" The beautiful voice came from the kitchen door and Blaine turned to find Kurt leaning against the frame, wearing a red apron, his hair perfectly styled, dressed in red skinny pants and white top. He looked amazing and that apron looked adorable on him. "Excuse her, Blaine. She doesn't know how annoying she is. She should by now, considering the number of times I've told her so over the years."

"It's fine," Blaine laughed softly, his hazel eyes unable to look away from the other boy. "Something smells really good."

"Thanks. I hope you like vegan food, because that's all we eat thanks to Rachel," Kurt forced a smile towards the girl.

"I thought you were a health freak, Kurt. What's healthier than vegan food?" Rachel protested.

"She's got a point," Kurt sighed. "Anyway, we are having quinoa and kale rollups with salad."

"I have no idea what that is, but sounds good enough for me," Blaine said without losing his smile. Rachel mumbled something about going to get their guest something to drink. She passed Kurt in the doorway and he moved to let her go by. He approached Blaine with a conspirtional look on his face.

"I have some chicken in the freezer if you don't like the rollups," Kurt whispered. "I do like healthy food and vegan recipes are great, but _she_'s kind of over the top."

Blaine laughed, loving the way the other boy was now so close he could smell his cologne.

"I'd eat whatever you put on my plate, I'm not very picky, especially since I've been eating nothing but McDonald's for the last few days," Blaine answered.

"Oh, God, don't let Rachel hear you or she will tell you the ten thousand reasons why you shouldn't support the evil clown," Kurt said and Blaine laughed again and just being there with him was so _nice_. "Though I have to admit I hate McDonald's too. It's unhealthy and it could kill you."

"Probably, but I'd die happy with a BigMac," Blaine muttered and shut up just in time because Rachel came back with two cans of soda.

Kurt went back to the kitchen to check on dinner while Rachel did her best to entertain Blaine, who was wishing she didn't try so hard. Why was it so difficult to just have a normal conversation? It seemed like the girl liked to make of all her actions an event. Kurt left the door opened and tried to join in the conversation as much as he could. Blaine enjoyed the little tickles he felt on his skin every time he heard the other boy's voice, but he knew it was wrong. So, so wrong.

Soon, he found himself envious of the lovely and natural relationship between Kurt and Rachel and wondered if he'd ever have something like that. It was obvious they were happy together; no matter how many times Kurt told Rachel she was annoying, how many times he criticized the dress she was wearing. At the end of the day, they made each other laugh and that's what it was really important.

They moved to the kitchen when the dinner was ready and sat at the small table. Blaine could swear his knees were touching Kurt's under it and he forced himself to maintain a blank expression on his face.

He didn't know if it was because he was just too infatuated with Kurt or what, but the food was actually delicious and Kurt seemed to smile even wider when Blaine made very approving noises.

Their conversation was centered on the classes they would all be taking soon, which ones sounded interesting and which ones were destined to be a pain in the ass. Rachel had something to add to every comment and though Blaine had the feeling he should find her more annoying, he actually thought she was sort of adorable, like a little child trying to get some attention after being neglected by her full time working parents all week. He knew how Ohio could be: maybe being Broadway musical fanatics as Kurt and Rachel were meant that no one really cared about what they had to say. But it only took a second after Blaine admitted that he loved Wicked to be deluged by a dozen different explanations on why she could be an outstanding Elphaba. Kurt just listened to her with an endearing look in his blue eyes. Blaine nodded and tried not to think about the knee bumping against his every time Kurt shifted in his spot.

"What about your family, Blaine? Do you have any siblings?" Rachel asked, the sudden change of subject hitting him like a bucket of ice cold water splashing on his face. "I'm an only child, you know, so I've always been curious about the functionality of..."

Blaine wasn't really listening anymore. He was working so hard to create an oasis for him, a place where his ghosts and regrets couldn't haunt him anymore... and just a few words from Rachel sent him right back into those dark memories he was trying to fight back.

"Rachel," Kurt's voice was firm and emotionless, but it was also sort of sharp and Blaine didn't dare look up at him. "You're talking too much, sweetie. I think Blaine is getting a little dizzy."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that," Rachel answered, clearly concerned.

"It's fine," Blaine assured her, smiling.

"Would you mind if you cleared up the dishes while Blaine and I go to buy some ice cream for dessert? I saw a place just a few blocks away and I want to try it," Kurt proposed and Blaine just _had_ to look at him now. Kurt was calm and acting very gently, but the warning in his blue eyes was evident not only to Rachel, but also to Blaine.

"Sounds lovely. Maybe we can all watch a movie when you guys come back," she said as she stood up and started moving the dirty dishes to the sink. Kurt turned to Blaine.

"I'm always on board for some ice-cream," Blaine said before Kurt had the chance to ask any questions.

Kurt grabbed his keys and they went out of the apartment. Both boys climbed down the stairs without saying a word until they were in the street.

"I'm sorry about Rachel. She can be a little intense, but she doesn't mean to be rude," Kurt whispered, looking down at his shoes.

"Don't worry about it, she's great," Blaine answered, with a dismissive gesture of the hand.

"Oh, but I know you probably don't think that right now. Believe me, I _hated_ her when I first met her. We only became friends in the last year and a half of high school." Kurt was walking close to him and the smooth summer breeze was playing with his hair, which he didn't seem to notice. His scent enveloped Blaine and he had to close his eyes to remain calm. Why was Kurt so amazing? Why was he so fascinated with the boy?

"I think she's nice, really," Blaine insisted. "I'm having a great night, so don't apologize. It's so nice to have someone to talk to," Blaine hated himself as soon as the words came out of his mouth. _Oh shit, did I sound needy?_

"You don't know anyone in the city at all?" Kurt asked, curiously. He had already asked him that the previous day, but he figured that the boy had to _at least_ know someone from work. It was too sad to be there all by himself.

"No," Blaine replied. "Well, my friend Wes' sister is that teacher I told you about, the one working at NYU, but we're not exactly close. We get along really well and she's very sweet, but I've only seen her a couple of times."

A shiver ran all over Kurt. He crossed the arms over his chest. "It's very chilly here at nights. Sometimes I forget I'm not in Ohio anymore."

"Are you cold?" Blaine asked and, without waiting for a response (or without really thinking, actually), he unbuttoned the cardigan he was wearing. "Here, I'm okay."

"Oh." Kurt looked at him with wide blue eyes. "No, no, no, I'm alright, you don't have to..."

"Take it, Kurt," he insisted. The other boy hesitated for another second before shyly accepting the cardigan. He put it on, his porcelain cheeks blushing cherry red.

"Thank you," he mumbled and they walked in silence for a few minutes.

_Oh, God, what did I do?_ Blaine thought and the temptation to face-palm was almost too hard to resist. _What am I doing? This is not okay. Straight guys don't offer their clothes to other straight guys. He's going to discover I'm gay, he'll notice I'm crushing on him and it'll freak him out._

He dared to look at Kurt very quickly. The boy didn't seem upset at all. He seemed deep in thought, but mostly relaxed. Blaine wished he'd say something just so he could stop the rush of possible excuses going around and around in his head.

"You know," Kurt started and Blaine stopped breathing. _Here it comes_, he said to himself. "This cardigan is kind of ruining my outfit."

Blaine blinked a couple of times, confused, before glancing down at what Kurt was wearing. His cardigan was green.

"Uhm," he wasn't very sure what to say. "It looks a little Christmas-y."

Kurt laughed. Oh, God, his laugh. It sent warmth straight to his heart.

"Oh, well, I've always liked Christmas," he smiled before turning around a corner and pointing at their destination.

"The ice-cream is on me," Blaine said as they entered through glass doors. "You guys paid for dinner, so it's only fair. Don't dare arguing with me."

"Okay," Kurt agreed, as he eyed the list of flavors. "I normally wouldn't eat chocolate ever, because it goes to the hips, but I'll have you know chocolate chip ice-cream is one of my many guilty pleasures."

Blaine smiled without answering. Just thinking about any other possible guilty pleasures Kurt could have made him feel a little lightheaded.

Once Kurt decided on what he would get for Rachel, Blaine paid and they walked back to the apartment, the bags with the ice cream in their hands, as they talked about the city they already loved with all their hearts. Blaine resisted a million times the desire to reach out and grab Kurt's hand. It was a perfect night and a perfect new start and he wasn't going to ruin it.

* * *

><p>Few things changed during the next couple of days. Kurt and Rachel were still struggling to get a job (she wasn't too desperate yet, so she was still quite picky about the places she decided to apply to and she mostly did only auditions) and getting ready to start their classes. They were both incredibly excited: they had been waiting for years to learn something they could find interesting and useful (not that Algebra, Spanish and History weren't useful - definitely not interesting -, but it had absolutely nothing to do with what they wanted to become, unless they had to step on a stage and recite the capitals of African countries or how to conjugate verbs in a foreign language). Rachel was majoring in Drama at Julliard and was constantly murmuring which amazing parts she would be able to play once she could refine her acting skills better (and she was also convinced she could have that down by next semester. Kurt perfected his eye-rolling a lot during those days). Kurt couldn't blame her for her enthusiasm: he was also excited about starting; he would stay up until late hours every night sketching outfits and dreaming of the day he could actually create them and see them modeled on the runways.<p>

Blaine became a familiar feature at their apartment at least once a week for dinner and a movie. The boy always seemed shy and tired, but polite and charming anyway. Kurt found himself staring at him when Blaine wasn't looking and had to force his fascinated brain to stop being so stupid and think about something that wasn't those really stunning hazel eyes or the way Blaine moved his hands while he talked. Which he didn't do much. Blaine was a great listener (something Rachel simply _loved_ about him) but not much of a talker. Even after a few more dinners with him, they didn't know much more about the boy.

When the first day of classes finally arrived, the three of them were a mix of excitement and nerves. Kurt walked into his first class with a huge smile on his face and his hand tightly gripping the strap of his messenger bag. Through the day, the smile began to fall and the fear began to take over. Everyone was so talented and the atmosphere was so competitive. Kurt couldn't remember one conversation he had with any of his classmates that didn't remind him of one of those shows on the Discovery Channel in which one lion is figuring out the best way to ambush another. The fashion industry was a really competitive, difficult one and getting in wasn't easy. Kurt had been confident about his talent and his ambition his entire life and this really wasn't the best time to start freaking out, but he couldn't help it.

By the time he made it home that first night, he wasn't so sure about anything anymore. Kurt knew he needed time to adjust, but it was the very first time he panicked and considered the possibility of not making it. What would he do if he wasn't good enough to design? What would he do if he could never get a part on Broadway? _Well_, he thought bitterly, as a shiver went down his spine,_ there's always dad's garage_.

Rachel was already home and she didn't look any better than him. In fact, Kurt's alarm went off when he saw her in her pajamas, hugging a rather hideous teddy bear Finn had gotten her at a fair last year and with a bottle of wine on the coffee table in front of her. Where she had gotten the wine was a mystery to Kurt.

Sharing a glass of the purplish liquid, they told each other about their day as they waited for their Chinese food to arrive. Apparently, according to one of Rachel's new teacher's, she needed to work on her stage presence a lot because her emotions didn't seem believable.

That first week was really tough, between the classes, getting used to the idea that they would need to work even harder than what they had originally expected and the job hunting they still hadn't given up on. By the time Saturday night arrived, Blaine came over for dinner and, though he looked really exhausted, he was the only one who seemed still immensely enthusiastic about his classes. They shared a vegan pizza (Kurt even agreed to eat it on the couch instead of in the kitchen, sitting at the table like normal human beings) and they popped up _Moulin Rouge_ on the DVD. When the movie ended, Kurt was the only one who hadn't drifted off to sleep (Rachel was snoring softly on his left shoulder, Blaine was warm and close enough on his right side that he could just scoot over a bit and have him pressed up against him) and, strangely, at that quiet time of the night, with his high school best friend and the guy he had met only a few weeks ago, Kurt knew that it didn't matter how hard things might get. They could all get through it and they could achieve whatever they wanted because they _really_ wanted it. The city, the only thing that didn't sleep around him, the only thing that seemed to keep going non-stop, was a proof of it. He was there. He had left Lima and gotten to New York.

Kurt Hummel could do anything; he just needed to figure out how.

* * *

><p>"I need you to get me a date with him."<p>

Surprised, Kurt looked away from his reflection on the mirror, where he was attentively studying his own face to make sure he was applying the moisturizing lotion correctly. Rachel, already in her pink pajamas, was standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry?" He asked, confused.

"Blaine. I need you to get me a date with Blaine," she explained as if she were talking to a three year old.

"Why?" Kurt didn't mean to sound so scandalized, so he cleared his throat and tried to pretend he wasn't.

"Because he's cute and smart? Do you really need a reason?" Rachel sat down on his bed.

"Oh, Rach, I don't think you're his type," he held back a smile and put the caps back on all his lotions.

"Why not? Is it because I'm not that pretty? You know, Kurt, I'd never thought you'd judge me like this after all we..."

"Rachel, I think he's gay," Kurt said as he turned around to face his friend and stop her angry rant. "It's not that you're not pretty, it's just that he doesn't play for your team."

"That's absurd, he's not gay!" The girl sounded almost offended by the idea.

"And how do you know that?" Kurt was starting to lose his patience very quickly.

"Because I don't get any funny gay vibes from him, my gaydar is completely quiet when he's with us."

Kurt had to laugh. He just had to. He really loved Rachel, but she was utterly ridiculous sometimes. "Rachel, sweetie, you _don't_ have a gaydar. You're not gay."

"So? My dads are gay, I know about this stuff," she shrugged and Kurt made his way to the bed. "Please? I think he could help me get over Finn."

Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes. He hated seeing Rachel still depressed about her, once again, failed relationship with Finn. But why Blaine? He was sure there were thousands of other guys in New York she could date. Why the cute neighbor Kurt was currently crushing on? It didn't matter he had no chance with him. Blaine was probably straight, after all. But what if he and Rachel started dating? Then they'd be together all the time and Kurt would feel terrible and he'd have to see them kissing and hugging and...

Ugh, no.

Rachel pouted. "Look, just one date, okay? I just want to see if I have a shot there."

"And why can't you ask him out yourself? Why do _I_ have to do it?" Kurt whined, burying his face in the pillow.

"Because you obviously get along with him, you know him better than I do."

"That's not even true. I barely know the guy," Kurt protested.

"Anyway, that's not important. Will you help me or not? You just have to talk to him and ask him if he would like to go out with me," Rachel forced him to turn around until she could look into his eyes. "I'll owe you one."

Kurt growled, annoyed. "_Fine_. You'll owe me a big one. As big as that new scarf from Marc Jacobs I liked so much."

"As soon as I find a job, I'll buy you one in each color," Rachel smiled brightly and hugged him tight before jumping off the bed to leave the room.

Kurt fell into his pillow again and sighed in frustration. Having friends had never been so hard.

* * *

><p>With the beginning of classes, everything was chaos. Students constantly came to the library to research information for their essays and other assignments and the place was always buzzing with activity, despite the silence that floated around it, a type of silence Blaine was already too familiar with. Piles of returned textbooks were waiting on the counter for him to put them back in their places on the right shelves. Blaine knew he'd have to stay for a couple more hours if he wanted to have everything done. This job was already consuming more time than he initially planned, but Blaine was beginning to understand the income he'd get from it wasn't enough to survive. He'd have to get a second job.<p>

He had no idea how he'd do it. He was scheduled for class four days a week, the job at the library took five hours from Monday to Friday and he knew he had lots of things to study. Blaine was starting to freak out. Maybe he had dreamed too big.

He had been arriving home quite late during the past week and a half and hadn't seen Kurt or Rachel since their dinner two Saturdays ago. He had been looking forward to the weekend, thinking he could ask them to join him for dinner or maybe go out for a coffee or something, but the idea was starting to vanish as he thought he should spend his free time looking for another job. Maybe one with a night shift? Or something for Saturdays and Sundays only?

_You're not here to make friends_, he said to himself sadly, as the silence around him seemed to get even more oppressive. _You're here to build the life you were told you couldn't have. You're here to heal, Blaine. You'll have plenty of time for everything else once things get better. Once you have enough money to buy food and not starve to death._

He had a terrible headache by the time he was good to go. He put on his jacket, grabbed his bag and took the subway back home. He walked the few blocks to the building breathing deeply, hoping the fresh air would help. It was already dark outside and he was trying to remember how much money he got left in his wallet and if it would be enough to order some Chinese food.

Blaine was just about to reach his apartment when the door besides him suddenly opened up and he almost collided with Kurt, who was going out.

"Oh, hey!" The boy said enthusiastically. "I haven't seen you in a few days, how are you?"

"Great," Blaine lied. "You?"

"I'm fine. I was just going to meet Rachel, she got a job as the assistant of a Broadway director and we're celebrating!" He answered, that beautiful smile of his gracing his lips. "Would you like to come? We'll probably grab some dinner or something. She mentioned some of the cast from the play will be there, so it could be fun!"

"That's awesome, I'm happy for her," Blaine smiled a bit, too, as he took his keys out of his bag. "But I think I'll pass. I had a long day and I just want to relax."

"Oh," did Kurt seem genuinely disappointed? Blaine shook that thought out of his head as soon as it happened. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"No, everything's great," he said without looking at Kurt. "Just tired."

"Alright," Kurt sounded hesitant but he instantly recovered the enthusiastic tone. "Maybe we could make plans for the weekend," he proposed.

"I'll have to let you know. There's a chance I will have to work," Blaine answered, leaning against the doorframe. He wanted to keep talking to Kurt, he wanted to hear that amazing voice all night. "But I'd love to."

"That actually reminds me..." Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't have the chance, so... Anyway, I was wondering if you were interested in having a date."

Blaine frowned, confused. "A date?"

"Yeah, Rachel said she always has a great time with you and she wanted to know if maybe you could go grab something for dinner, but just the two of you this time." Kurt rolled his eyes again. Blaine, on the other hand, was speechless.

He stared at the other boy in silence for a few seconds.

"Ehm, let me see if I got this straight," he mumbled at last. "You're asking me if I want to go out on a date with your girlfriend?"

"Yes, I'm..." Kurt stopped talking and looked at Blaine with wide eyes. "Wait, what?"

"You and Rachel. You said you're together since high school and..."

"Oh my God!" Kurt started laughing hysterically. "_Oh my God!_"

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest. "What's so funny?

"You!" Kurt had to hold himself against the wall. He had tears in his eyes. "Did you really think Rachel was my girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah," Blaine shrugged. "You never said she wasn't."

"I'm gay, Blaine," Kurt said and Blaine felt all the air in his lungs evaporating. "I love her, but I wouldn't date her even if she was the last girl on Earth, because I like boys."

_Tell him you're gay too, tell him and ask him out_, Blaine's heart screamed, but his brain wouldn't let him. Where would he take Kurt? He could barely pay his rent and if he had been interested, he would have shown it somehow already. They had been alone a couple times and not once Kurt seemed to like him that way. No, Blaine liked him too much and he'd rather have him as a friend than not having him at all. The city was already lonely enough to risk this too.

Kurt was checking the time on his phone. "I'm running late," he muttered. He gave him another bright smile. "Listen, Blaine, just think about it and if you'd like to go out with her, let her know. I'll see you later!"

"Have... fun," Blaine whispered, but Kurt was already disappearing down the stairs. He stayed in the middle of the hallway, blinking stupidly and trying to understand what had just happened.

The boy he liked was gay, thought he was straight and was trying to set him up with his friend. Wasn't his life complicated enough?

* * *

><p>Despite the fact that his week had been exhausting and he had stayed up quite late the night before celebrating with Rachel, Kurt woke up pretty early that Saturday morning and decided he couldn't stand to see the apartment in the condition it currently was. He needed color in his life, he needed to live in a place that was at least slightly stylish. So after he completed his morning routine and read the note Rachel left him in the kitchen before leaving for her first day (several golden star stickers all over the paper), he grabbed the keys of his Navigator and drove to the hardware store. He missed driving his car. He hadn't been using it because moving around New York was easier if he took the subway, but it felt nice to be behind the wheel for a change.<p>

He invested in a few cans of paint (after hours of consulting the colors sample catalogue to find the perfect combination) for the living room and the kitchen. He wished he could go furniture and accessories shopping, but that would have to wait until they were more stable financially.

He had chosen really cheerful colors, intending to make the apartment look much more full of life. The living room walls would be a delicate purple shade and the kitchen a very intense red. Kurt could see the final results in his head and he knew he had made the right choices and that Rachel would approve. He was the one with impeccable taste, after all.

Once he moved the things that were in his way aside and he covered the furniture with old sheets to keep them from getting stained, and changed his clothes into an old t-shit with his dad's garage logo on it and a pair of baggy jeans he never really liked, Kurt started working, as some music played in the background. He sang along, dancing around while he worked, as if all of his actions were part of a very tight choreography. It was kind of refreshing to be busy like this, to get the chance to be creative somehow. After another week of pointless job interviews (he was sure he'd explode the next time he heard the words _thank you for coming, we'll be in touch_) and arduous classes, this was a nice change. He felt useful and his mind was too focused on what he was doing to worry about anything else. He just needed to remember, when he'd start to feel down again, that his time would come. Rachel had gotten a job after countless auditions and interviews and so would he, eventually.

He was finishing with the first wall and ready to move on to the second one when there was a knock on the door. Kurt frowned. Rachel had told him she'd be home late. He wasn't expecting to find a dazed looking Blaine at his doorway, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a ratty t-shit.

"Blaine, hi!" He said joyfully, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You... You have a beautiful voice," was Blaine's breathy greeting and Kurt felt himself blushing furiously.

"Oh, God, did you hear me? I'm sorry, was I being too loud?" He asked, embarrassed.

"No, not at all," Blaine answered immediately. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing and he covered his face with his hand. "Your voice is really beautiful, I just... I'm sorry I interrupted, I don't even know why I did it."

"It's fine, I don't mind," Kurt's smile was back and he shrugged a bit. "Thanks. I know I don't have a very conventional voice, but..."

"It's amazing, you sound like an…" Blaine cut himself off before the word _angel_ could slip though his lips. He cleared his throat and looked at the very unusual choice of outfit that Kurt was wearing. "What are you doing?"

"Painting the living room," Kurt moved aside to let Blaine in. "I was tired of seeing those boring, sad white walls."

"Do you need any help?" Blaine offered with a smile.

"Sure," Kurt picked up the brush he had been using before turning back to look at Blaine. "Hey, I thought you had to work today?"

"Not really. I was actually planning to go to…" Blaine looked around, evidently avoiding his eyes. "It doesn't matter. It's complicated."

Kurt frowned. What could be so complicated about that? Blaine was like a box full of mysteries sometimes and all he wanted to do was unravel him. But why was Blaine so quiet and reserved? On the few occasions they talked, he had never mentioned anything personal. He didn't mention his family, his job, his plans for college, except what he was intending to major in.

"You can tell me, if you need to talk to someone," Kurt said softly because, well, maybe Blaine was just shy, right?

"I'd rather not," Blaine answered, maybe too soon. He tried to change the subject. "Is Rachel working?"

Kurt wasn't very happy. He knew he couldn't force Blaine to tell him anything or to see him as a friend, but… wait, why was he even bothering? "Are you here to see her?"

"No, I was just wondering…" Blaine took another paintbrush and started painting alongside Kurt.

"Are you going to go out with her?" Kurt asked before he could stop himself. He cursed inside and he would have hit his head against the wall if it wasn't freshly painted.

"No, I'm not," Blaine said calmly. "She's really lovely, but… I'm not interested in her that way."

"Oh, God, it's because of the things I said about her, isn't it? I didn't mean it when I said she was pushy and intense and annoying. I mean, she is, but she's so much more than just that. She's so sweet and kind once you get to know her, and you know, Rachel would…"

"I'm sure you're right," Blaine interrupted him, moving his hands in front of him to stop his rant. "And she's very… uhm, pretty. But I just see her as a friend. I like her as a friend."

Kurt sighed. "Well, I guess I'll tell her when she comes home."

"I should talk to her, probably," Blaine said thoughtfully.

"To be honest, I don't even know how I got involved in this. It's all so elementary school," Kurt rolled his eyes as he painted a long, neat line of purple on the wall.

"She could've slipped a note under my door," Blaine added with a smile, which Kurt slowly and lazily returned.

"Yeah, probably. Don't judge her over this, though. She and my brother broke up before we came here and I suppose Rachel's not managing to get over it very well," Kurt explained, in that same voice he always used he was talking about Finn and Rachel's relationship. It was almost as ridiculous as a soap opera. He had lost count of all the dramas, break ups and make ups they had shared over the past few years. "She thought it might be good for her to start dating again."

"Well, I'm not the best choice, actually," Blaine rolled his eyes. Their elbows accidentally brushed. Kurt felt the shiver running down his spine, but he ignored it.

"Why would you say that? You're a great guy," he replied, seconds before he wanted to kick himself. What was he doing? What was he saying? Would Blaine think he was flirting with him? Would he think he was predatory? _Oh, shit, I'm predatory_.

"You don't really know me," Blaine whispered, probably more to himself than to Kurt, but he heard anyway and he didn't like the way he said it. What was Blaine hiding? What was it he was so afraid to say? "Besides, I'm gay."

It took both of them by surprise. Blaine wasn't expecting to say it, but his brain must have gotten short-circuited after that burning sensation he got when his skin touched Kurt's. _Damn, I can't take that back now, can I?_

Kurt dropped the paintbrush to the floor. Purple dots ended up staining the sheet covering the couch, the still unpainted wall and Blaine's shirt. He felt his jaw gape and his mouth open, trying to articulate words but, what was he supposed to say? The air had evaporated from his lungs and his blue eyes were so wide it was almost painful.

"You…"

"Whoa, I don't even know why I said that," Blaine avoided the situation by studying the stains on his shirt. "This is never going to come out."

"I'm sorry," Kurt mumbled quickly because, hell, he didn't care about the stupid shirt. "Why didn't you tell me you were gay?"

"Uhm, I'm not sure. You didn't tell me either," he accused.

"I didn't think you were so oblivious!" Kurt threw his hands up in the air. "The first assumption anyone makes about me, is that I'm gay. I kind of give off that vibe."

"Well, that didn't really occur to me. I didn't think I could be so…" Blaine cut himself off again and finally looked at Kurt, confused.

"What?" Kurt tilted his head to the side. It was adorable.

"Nothing," _I didn't think I could be so lucky to even have the slightest chance with you. I didn't think it was even possible you could like me instead of girls._ "Should we get back to painting?"

Kurt smiled very slowly but moved very quickly. He didn't even know what he was doing, or why he was doing it, or how would Blaine react, especially after he had told him something that was obviously very difficult for him to say. But he felt like he needed to lighten the mood a bit, he needed to hear Blaine laughing, he wanted to erase that frown from his beautiful face.

So he planted the paintbrush right on Blaine's cheek, covering it in purple.

"Hey!" Blaine exclaimed, taking a step back to get away from him. "I meant the walls!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you should be more specific," Kurt teased, biting his lower lip.

"So that's how this is going to be?" Blaine couldn't hold back the smirk as he painted Kurt's arm with way too much paint, which started to drip down to his fingers and the floor. "Now we are even."

"No, we are not!" Kurt lifted his arm and tried to grab Blaine, who started running away from him and tried to save his ass by hiding in the kitchen, but Kurt followed before he could close the door. The laughter from the two boys was already filling the apartment.

"Don't… Kurt, don't!" Blaine held his hands in front of him in a pathetic attempt to stop Kurt from advancing towards him. "We're not kids, we can discuss this as mature adults."

"Let go of that paintbrush, then," Kurt said, mischievously, pointing towards the brush Blaine was still holding as a weapon.

"No way, you'll attack me as soon as I let it fall," Blaine's smile was bigger than he had ever seen it before. Kurt was delighted.

"I swear I won't. I don't want to get the entire apartment all messy. Rachel is going to kill me," Kurt looked around, hoping the appliances wouldn't get any purple stains.

"Okay, fine. Let's call this even and I'll help you finish with the living room," Blaine put the paintbrush down but regretted it as soon as he did, catching Kurt's victorious grin. He moved right on time before the other boy's paintbrush could hit him in the face, but he tripped with Kurt's ridiculously (and beautifully) long legs, sending both of them straight to the floor.

Blaine caught Kurt by the waist before he could hit his head against the counter. He ended up holding him on top of him, their legs tangled, Kurt's hands against his chest, and he was gasping for air desperately, the smile still on his face, but now completely frozen as blue found hazel and the sparks started flying up all around the kitchen.

Kurt didn't notice Blaine was staring at his lips because he was too busy doing the same and feeling the warmth of his body pressed against his. He knew they should get up but he couldn't remember why. Why would they get up when everything was suddenly so wonderful?

They started closing the distance between them, both panting with desire, Kurt's hands fisting Blaine's shirt, Blaine burying his fingers deeper in Kurt's waist. Kurt could feel the other boy's breath against his skin, sending shivers all over him and he already knew the kiss was going to be perfect. He already knew their lips would match perfectly, that they would magically know each other's rhythm, that the sparks would turn to fire.

"Kurt," the name was almost a whine and Kurt could feel Blaine's lips moving when he pronounced it.

"Yes?" He asked in a whisper, noticing how Blaine's scent seemed to attract his senses even when he could also smell the paint in his skin.

"I…_ shit_, I'm dying to do this, but I don't know if… I don't know if we should," Blaine said breathlessly, moving his hand up Kurt's back, feeling the way the boy's muscles were stretching to support his weight and not crush Blaine. "You're so beautiful."

Kurt didn't know if he wanted to sob or to smile. He had never been told he was beautiful before. "Then kiss me."

They locked eyes. Kurt could see again all of those things about Blaine he didn't understand trying to hold him back. He wanted to lean down and kiss him himself, but if Blaine wasn't ready, that would ruin everything. It was supposed to be amazing.

Blaine parted his lips to say something, but he seemed to have trouble deciding what exactly. His hands held tightly to Kurt, like he was afraid to let go.

"Ssh, it's fine," Kurt gave him a sweet smile and moved a hand up to gently stroke his unpainted cheek. "We don't have to… it's okay."

"But I want to," Blaine mumbled, nuzzling into Kurt's touch.

"I know. Me too," he rested their foreheads together. For a moment, neither knew what to do. Their lips almost _hurt_, desperate to kiss, to feel, to taste, and though Kurt didn't really understand why they couldn't just do it, he held back. "Will you still help me paint?" Kurt asked after a silence only broken by low sighs. "I promise I'll only paint the walls."

Blaine laughed softly and turned his head to the side, kissing Kurt's palm. "Sure."

That simple kiss, that simple touch, sent tickles all over his fingers, his arm, his shoulder, his chest, his heart. It went straight to it and it filled him completely. Though it required all his willpower to do so, Kurt slowly stood up and looked down at Blaine, offering his hand to help him up as well. He laughed: the other boy's shirt was pretty much entirely purple by now and the paint drying on his face resembled a huge bruise.

"Don't laugh at me," Blaine muttered as he jumped to his feet. He didn't let go of Kurt's hand right away. He held it in his like it was the first time he grabbed someone else's hand. When he looked at him, his hazel eyes were really bright. "Thank you."

"For what?" Kurt asked, a bit confused.

"For making me smile? It's been a while since I had a reason to," Blaine whispered, as his fingers finally let go, untangling from Kurt's.

Kurt felt his body trembling with the urgency of throwing himself at Blaine and just hug him, kiss him. But he also needed – desperately needed – to know more about him. To understand him, to really know who Blaine Anderson was.

He needed to know why he hadn't smiled in a while.

And he wanted to keep being the reason he did now.

Kurt rolled his eyes playfully, not knowing exactly what to answer to that and nudged him with the shoulder. "Come on, let's go. I'll buy you coffee when we finish."

Blaine smiled. Again.

And it was beautiful.

"That actually sounds really good."

* * *

><p>"Put that wallet away, this is on me," Kurt said as soon as he saw Blaine reaching for it. "You spent your Saturday painting my living room. The least I can do is to pay for a medium drip."<p>

Blaine rolled his eyes but didn't insist. It was already dark outside and both were tired but in a great mood. After finishing with the living room, they both had taken showers and changed their clothes before going out. They walked across the streets of New York together, hands occasionally brushing, but never grabbing, little smiles shared in silence. It was strange how comfortable they felt with each other, even after what had happened between them earlier.

They sat down at the only small table vacant in the crowded coffee place. Kurt took a sip from his non-fat mocha and Blaine tapped his fingers rhythmically against his own cup as he looked out the window at the city lights. Finally he sighed, as if he was tired, as if he had lost a battle with himself.

"I…" he started, hesitant. "I feel like we should talk. About what happened."

Kurt tried to stay calm and smiled at him soothingly. "It's fine. We don't have to do it now."

"You deserve to know why I act the way I do, I guess," Blaine continued anyway. He seemed a bit uncomfortable now. "We both knew what we wanted but I… I just couldn't."

Kurt glanced at the boy sitting in front of him. He looked a bit younger suddenly, and much more vulnerable and insecure. Maybe Blaine needed someone to talk to. Maybe this was his way to ask him to _please_ listen to him. So he remained silent, but the expression on his face was inviting and warm. Kurt sat back on his seat, as if he was getting ready for a long conversation. Blaine smiled gratefully.

"My life is… just complicated now. Very complicated," he said at last. "I told you I had to work this weekend but I actually meant that I needed to go out and look for another job."

"Did you have any problems at the library?" Kurt asked, worried.

"No, the library is great, but… it's not enough," Blaine shrugged. "I need to make a bit more money if I want to live here and go to college."

"Blaine, it's fine. You shouldn't be embarrassed to tell me about this. We all have to struggle! I'm still trying to get a job, too!" Kurt thought about reaching across the table and grabbing the other boy's hand, but he wasn't sure he should actually do it.

"Yeah, I know, but this is looking pretty bad," the smile on Blaine's face was really sad and bitter now, and Kurt didn't like it. The spark in his eyes was gone.

"Don't you have anyone who can help you?" Kurt asked delicately. "Some family? A friend?"

He knew he had asked the wrong question only a second after the words were out of his mouth. Blaine's face seemed to darken instantly.

"My friends did enough for me, I don't want to ask any more favors," he answered in a low voice. Kurt didn't say anything. He waited to see if Blaine would add anything else, and he did, after taking a deep breath, like what he was about to say required a great effort from him. "I don't have a family. Not anymore at least. My parents kicked me out of the house before I came here."

"You… oh, my god, Blaine, that's horrible," without giving it a second thought, he took the other boy's hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

"I came to New York with some money my best friend lent me," Blaine explained, his hazel eyes fixed on the intertwined fingers as if he found them fascinating. "My dad only gave me twenty minutes to take whatever I could take from my room before he shut the front door in my face and told me to never come back."

Kurt felt his eyes stinging with tears. Why? Why would someone do that to someone as sweet and good as Blaine? Why would his _parents_ do that to him? He squeezed his hand tighter. "I'm so sorry."

"They…" Blaine choked a bit trying to hold back a sob. "I just wasn't their son anymore. I haven't been for a very long time. They dealt with me for the last years just because I was a minor, but as soon as I finished high school it was obvious it was a matter of time."

Kurt swallowed hard. "Can I ask you why they…?"

"Because I'm gay," Blaine answered naturally, as if it was the logical response. "Because in my family appearances are everything and having a queer as a son wasn't acceptable."

"Please, don't talk like that," Kurt begged softly.

"I'm sorry," Blaine looked down.

"No, don't be sorry. You just… you have nothing to be ashamed of, Blaine! You are who you are and you can't change that!" Kurt felt a few rebel tears making their way down his cheeks, but he didn't care right now.

"I wasn't enough," he mumbled sadly.

"No, _they_ are not enough. They don't deserve you. You, so gentle, so sweet and generous…" Kurt crawled around the booth seat until he was next to Blaine.

"You still don't know me," Blaine assured him with a crooked, still not happy smile.

"Maybe not, but I _see_ you, and that's enough for me," Kurt kissed his cheek cautiously, as if he was afraid Blaine would flinch away. He didn't.

Blaine's eyes were shining with un-cried tears now. He wasn't used to having someone showing him any form of affection like this. "I… had gone to the cinema with one of my friends from Dalton, David. He had picked me up and I guess someone saw us and took it the wrong way." Blaine stopped, as if he was gathering whatever strengths he had left to finish his story. "When I came back, someone had spray-painted the word 'fag' on my front door."

"Oh, God," Kurt felt sick. What was wrong with people? He had had it really bad in Lima, too, but he still couldn't understand. He would never understand.

"My dad was furious. It wasn't like no one actually knew, I'm sure all my neighbors knew what I was, but… he was so _ashamed_ of me." Blaine frowned and his pain was so visible, so heavy on his still too young shoulders. "It was probably the last straw. It was like not only hearing the whispers behind our backs, but also seeing what everyone was thinking. It wasn't something he could just pretend it didn't happen. It was there, everyone could see it."

Blaine paused and took a sip of his coffee to clear his throat. Kurt didn't let go of his hand. He never wanted to let go.

"When the people who are supposed to think you're the best thing that ever happened to them actually tell you you're the worst… it kind of shatters your trust in yourself," Blaine said, rolling his eyes, like trying to make it sound less important than what it was.

"You can't let them win," Kurt brushed a cute dark curl off of Blaine's forehead, his blue eyes intensely fixed on him. "You can do this, Blaine. You can be independent, you can finally live your life the way you want it to be. It'll be hard, I'm not saying it won't. But you'll get a better job eventually and then…"

"No, I don't mean it that way. I mean… they shattered my trust in myself because I never think I'm good enough for anything," Blaine tilted his head down, his cheeks a bit red, embarrassed. "I'm not good for you."

The last words were spoken so quietly Kurt thought he'd heard wrong. But he realized he hadn't when Blaine tried to get away from him.

"Hey, no, no, listen," Kurt tugged his hand to bring him closer instead. "The truth is I'm the one who's probably not good enough for you."

"That's bullsh-…"

"Shut up and listen," Kurt gave him his bitch glare until Blaine shut his mouth. "I'm spoiled. Way too spoiled, if you ask my dad. And sarcastic and a lot more selfish than I like to admit. I'm a materialist who would kill his brother for a pair of Doc Marten boots." That actually got him a little chuckle from Blaine, so Kurt felt his heart warming up again. "I'm self-centered, obsessive and stubborn…"

"You're amazing, Kurt, stop it," Blaine mumbled, squeezing his hand a bit.

"I'm not, but it's okay, it's who I am and the people around me love me because of it," Kurt shrugged. He still couldn't understand how his dad, Carole, Finn or any of his friends actually put up with him. "Maybe it's because I'm incredibly fashionable and so, so fabulous."

"You forgot to say humble," Blaine's smile was wider this time and Kurt felt encouraged.

"That, too," Kurt bit his bottom lip and grinned playfully before continuing. "I complain about life when I could have it so much worse. Just… not so long ago I complained to you about how awful my first week here had been and instead of telling me to shut up, you tried to comfort me. You have perspective, Blaine, which sometimes I don't have. You're realistic and grounded and life hasn't been treating you right, but you're still here. You could've given up, but you are _here_."

Blaine moved his free hand to Kurt's face and very gently caught the tears that were still on his cheeks with his thumb. "When I saw you that day we moved in…" he said in barely a whisper. They were so close. "I couldn't help but think that you were really beautiful."

Kurt blushed a bit, shyly. "Thanks."

"And now I see how right I was. You're incredibly beautiful, Kurt, especially on the inside," the hazel eyes looked a lot like liquid honey now and they lowered very slowly to glance at the other boy's lips.

Kurt felt the anticipation tying knots in his stomach. "You don't… you don't have to kiss me, Blaine, if you're not ready for it."

Blaine's answer was to move his hand to the back of Kurt's head and bring him closer until their lips finally met. Kurt gasped and squeezed even more the hand he was still holding, his lips warm and dry and so, so soft. After just being pressed together for a few seconds, both started slowly moving their lips, trying to sync with the other. Kurt raised his other arm and threw it around Blaine's neck, keeping him close as they timidly tasted each other for the very first time.

Blaine stroked Kurt's cheekbone tenderly. Both boys tasted like coffee, but underneath it, they could each discern the other. Kurt was a mix of sweet and minty and something indescribable that Blaine had never tasted before but he knew now he would never get enough of. Blaine was salty, and whatever it was that reminded him of candy and addictive. Kurt thought he could taste oxygen in his mouth, but that wasn't really possible, right? It was just his crazy heart telling him to breathe this boy in, because he wouldn't be able to live without him. It felt very dramatic to be thinking that way but when they looked at each other again when they pulled away, somehow they knew it. It had to be.

Blaine let his hand wander down Kurt's back until it reached his waist. He pressed the boy tightly in his arms, Kurt nuzzling in the crook of his neck, taking in the intoxicating scent.

"That was…" Blaine's voice was weak, as if the kiss had taken all his strength from him. "That was my first kiss."

"Really?" Kurt looked up, surprised.

"Yes," Blaine nodded slowly, as Kurt rested his head in his shoulder. "I've never met anyone like you."

"Gay?" Kurt teased, knowing how hard it was to find people like them in Ohio.

"Unique," was what Blaine whispered instead, the knots in Kurt's stomach untying and flying loose hysterically inside of him.

Kurt's arms closed around Blaine's middle. Why did he feel at home in another boy's arms? Kurt never knew it could feel like that. "It was kind of my first kiss, too."

"What do you mean, kind of?" Blaine asked confused.

"It's a long story. Maybe we could save it for a future coffee date?"

Blaine's smile was brighter than every damn light in New York City. "Sounds good to me."

Kurt's phone vibrated on the table, next to his forgotten coffee cup. He reached up without moving from the embrace to find a text from his friend. "Rachel wants to know if I'd like some Thai food tonight," he informed to the other boy. "Should I tell her you'll be joining us?"

Blaine spoke with his lips against silky chestnut hair. "I don't know… will she be okay with me being there?"

"Of course she will, don't be silly," Kurt said as he typed the reply and left his phone on the table again.

They stayed there for a few more minutes before deciding to walk back home. It was a pleasant night, the autumn barely showing its presence, the warmth of summer seeming to cling onto the air.

Their hands brushed stupidly at their sides until both boys laughed at how ridiculous that was before tangling their fingers together. They'd kissed. They could hold hands.

It was unusually quiet, the traffic not as heavy as they had grown used to, the people passing by them not so numerous, not so rude. Maybe everything was a little better when you had a perfect boy holding your hand.

Stopping at a corner to wait for the lights to change from green to red so they could cross the street, Kurt sighed and nuzzled against Blaine's slightly stubbly cheek.

"You're beautiful, too, Blaine Anderson," he whispered, his voice sweet like a caress. "I thought I'd let you know."

Blaine chuckled shyly, grasped his hand tighter and crossed the street with him.

* * *

><p><strong>What did you guys think? I know it's not much, but it was fun writing it. I was thinking about adding a second chapter with a bit of smut and some more details on how they deal with living in New York, but that's up to you! So if you want to read more about our boys (and Rachel!) just review and let me know :)<strong>

**Also, if anyone wants to follow me on Tumblr, I'm heartsmadeofbooks. I take suggestions and ideas for new stories, like this one. I can't promise to write them all, but I'd love to know what ideas you have :)**

**Love you all, thanks for reading! x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! So, okay, I lied. I said this could be a two chapter story and now it's going to three. This second part almost wrote itself and when I finished it I realized there was still some more of this to tell, so I wanted to make it even longer, until I realized that would take a few more days and I felt bad about keeping you all waiting. Apparently, I'm uncapable of writing one-shots. I'm a multi-chapter whore.**

**One million thank yous to Wutif for her help. She's the most amazing beta I could ask for and I can't stop telling you guys to just GO READ HER STORIES.**

**Thank you to all of you for the lovely reviews and encouraging words you left me for the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well. Can't wait to know what you think!**

**x**

* * *

><p>Friday had become Kurt's favorite day of the week. It had been since he discovered he had such a great time during his Sewing Techniques class (pretty much the only one where all the students were busy enough not to try to initiate any sort of chat), but Friday was even better now that he got to see Blaine perform with his guitar on the stage of a cozy, little café on the East side. Kurt couldn't forget the huge smile on Blaine's face when he told him about his new gig.<p>

Kurt had been sitting on the couch, papers and books everywhere, sketchbook on his knees, trying to finish a silhouette he was supposed to have done for his first class in the morning but it was being more difficult than he had thought it would be. The front door banged opened and his eyes went wide when he saw Rachel coming in, firmly tugging Blaine's hand, both laughing.

Since Blaine and he had started going out after that magnificent first kiss (were they boyfriends? Was that the right word?) the boy seemed much more relaxed and happy than Kurt had ever seen him. He still struggled every day, but it was as if he had lost at least half of the load he had been carrying around all his life. He was accepted, Kurt liked him, Rachel liked him and, as ridiculous as it was that two people he had met just months ago meant so much to him, Blaine knew he had a new family. And Kurt made sure he reminded him every day. Blaine joining them for dinner wasn't a weekly thing anymore: the boy was always there with him and he had become much closer to Rachel too (she had taken surprisingly well the fact that her gaydar had, after all, failed), but that still didn't explain why they arrived together, holding hands, an hour and a half later than expected on a Tuesday night.

"Are you guys drunk?" Kurt asked, a perfect eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"Only with bliss, Kurt, we just…" Rachel started, but Blaine cut her off.

"Wait! I want to tell him," he said excitedly and despite the mysterious circumstances, Kurt couldn't hold back a smile. After seeing Blaine cry and open up to him in a coffee shop, vulnerable and ashamed, Kurt had never been able to forget about it. But the changes were remarkable in the little time that had passed since that night. Blaine smiled and talked so much more, his shyness was fading away more and more with every moment he shared with the two friends.

"But it was _my_ idea," Rachel protested, frowning at Blaine. "I don't want you taking my credit."

Blaine rolled his eyes and lifted Rachel's hand. "Believe me, Rach, I'll be grateful forever," he whispered as he kissed her knuckles gently, eliciting a soft laugh from the girl.

Kurt cleared his throat, his eyebrow still arched.

"Oh, don't be jealous, you silly boy," Rachel said as she guided Blaine to the couch.

"I am _not_ jealous, Berry," he replied, maybe a little too quickly. Blaine chuckled and leaned down to kiss his cheek sweetly as he sat next to him. "But it would be great to know what the two of you are up to."

"So there's this really nice coffee place I go to sometimes in between classes. They have the most delicious carrot cake there, Kurt, oh God, you definitely need to…" Rachel started, before being cut off again.

"If this is about food, I still don't understand the enthusiasm," Kurt crossed his arms over his chest, doing his best to ignore the warmth spreading across his leg because Blaine was resting a hand on his knee.

"This is why _I_ wanted to tell him, Rach," Blaine pouted.

"Anyway," she said dramatically, sighing. "I go there quite often and today I heard they have live music on the weekends, which I didn't know before, and then I heard one of the baristas saying they needed a new performer, so I asked around a bit and then I called Blaine and…"

"And I got it!" Blaine bounced in his spot, unable to contain his excitement for another minute. Rachel frowned in frustration. "I'll be performing every Friday night!"

"Oh my God, that's fantastic!" Kurt said, disentangling his arms and throwing them around Blaine's neck. Blaine hugged him tightly without a second of hesitation as Rachel clapped happily. "Do you start this Friday? What time?" Kurt pulled away just enough to look into those amazing hazel eyes, eagerly.

"Yeah, this Friday at 8PM!" Blaine answered.

"That's perfect! Gives me time to get out of my last class of the day and shower and change my clothes before heading there," Kurt said thoughtfully and Blaine's smile lit up the room.

"You're really going?"

"Of course I am! I'll be there every Friday!" Leaning down, Kurt pecked him quickly on the lips as Blaine intertwined their fingers.

Kurt had stuck to his promise. This was the third Friday Blaine would play in the little café and Kurt hadn't missed one second of it. This time he was going straight from school where he had to stay a little longer to work with a sewing machine at the workshop, getting ready for an assignment he needed to have done for next week. He was carrying his messenger bag and his huge portfolio where he kept all of his sketches. It had been a really long day and he was more than happy to sit down at his favorite table near the stage with his non-fat mocha and stretch his long legs as he let his head rest against the wall behind him.

He had just closed his eyes to let them rest a bit when he felt the warmth of a pair of lips on his forehead. He looked up to find Blaine smiling down at him.

"Hey," Kurt said, his cheeks reddening instantly, still not used to receiving such gestures of affection in public. Damn, still not used to receiving affection, period.

"Hey you," Blaine answered, sitting down on a chair next to him and letting their hands find each other, intertwining their fingers. "Is everything alright? You look really tired."

"It was a very long day," Kurt smiled to show him there was nothing to worry about and had another sip of coffee. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'll start in ten minutes, I wanted to come over here and see you first," Blaine brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen on Kurt's forehead.

Kurt's heart was beating hard and fast, just like every time he felt Blaine's touch on his skin. He was falling in love with that boy so quickly it was terrifying. Not in a million years he would've imagined he'd find someone like Blaine. Back in Ohio, he had only wanted to be accepted. Being loved, _feeling_ loved… that was an extra bonus.

Kurt could feel the nerves tingling in his stomach and he knew he was about to sound like he was still a high school boy, but he had been thinking about nothing else for weeks now and it was starting to drive him crazy. He cleared his throat and made an effort to sound as nonchalantly as possible.

He failed. "Blaine?" The other boy fixed his hazel eyes on him. "What… Gosh, this is so stupid."

"What is it, Kurt?" His thick, black eyebrows knit, curiously.

"You and me," Kurt started again, his hand unconsciously squeezing Blaine's tighter. "What exactly are we?"

Blaine's lips barely twisted, trying to form a smile. He tried to remain serious. "Do you want to…?"

His next words were lost when a new voice interrupted. "Boys! I'm so glad I've made it on time, I thought I'd never get here!" Rachel planted a kiss on each boy's cheek before sitting down heavily and taking a sip from Kurt's coffee. "You wouldn't believe what kind of day I had."

Blaine slowly straightened up, the little smile still dancing on his lips. "I have to go, but, you'll tell me about it later, Rach?"

"Sure, Blaine. Go break a leg," she said distractedly, not noticing the way Kurt was glaring at her. Blaine walked away towards the small stage and started tuning his guitar.

"I swear to you, Rachel, sometimes is really hard not to strangle you," Kurt huffed, stealing back his cup and drinking the last few sips Rachel had left.

"Why? What did I do now?" The girl crossed her arms defensively, frowning and completely oblivious.

"Blaine and I were talking about something important and you interrupted. You have the worst timing ever," he sat back, staring at the still empty stage. The little coffee house was starting to get crowded and Kurt thought he recognized a couple of faces. Were people coming back specifically to see Blaine? He felt so proud he could barely contain his excitement.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Rachel replied. She seemed a little worried now. "Are you two okay? You weren't fighting, right?"

"No, we weren't, we're doing great," Kurt sighed and rested his head on his friend's shoulder. "But I asked him what we were exactly and he was about to answer me."

"Wait, you're telling me you are not official yet?" Rachel sounded pretty shocked. "I thought it was obvious!"

"I don't know, I've never dated anyone before, remember?" Kurt watched as Blaine stepped on the stage with his guitar hanging and turned the microphone on. "I just wanted to be sure."

Both of them got quiet when Blaine smiled at the audience and strummed a few notes on the guitar as if he was checking the sound of it. He was always shy when he talked, and this time was no exception. "Hi, everyone thanks for coming." He cleared his throat and took a guitar pick from his back pocket. "I'm going to start with a song tonight that I'd like to dedicate to my boyfriend," the blush crept up his cheeks and the smile was hard to hold back. Kurt stopped breathing and he couldn't remember how to do it again. "This is for you, Kurt."

Blaine and Kurt's eyes found each other for a few seconds before the boy started playing. Kurt grabbed Rachel's hand with so much strength he was sure he was about to break the girl's bones, but he couldn't help it.

Blaine sang softly, with a sweet voice, and it took Kurt just a moment to realize Blaine was slightly changing the lyrics to make them fit. His heart threatened to jump out of his chest.

_Something in the way he moves,  
>Attracts me like no other lover.<br>Something in the way he woos me.  
>I don't want to leave him now,<br>You know I believe and how._

_Somewhere in his smile he knows,_  
><em>That I don't need no other lover.<em>  
><em>Something in his style that shows me.<em>  
><em>I don't want to leave him now,<em>  
><em>You know I believe and how.<em>

_You're asking me will my love grow,_  
><em>I don't know, I don't know.<em>  
><em>Stick around, and it may show,<em>  
><em>But I don't know, I don't know.<em>

_Something in the way he knows,_  
><em>And all I have to do is think of him.<em>  
><em>Something in the things he shows me.<em>  
><em>I don't want to leave him now.<em>  
><em>You know I believe and how.<em>

Tears were filling Kurt's blue eyes as Blaine played the last few notes. He felt them tracking down his cheeks as everyone clapped and Blaine nodded a bow to the audience, thanking them. Their eyes met again and they smiled at each other and Kurt nodded enthusiastically, still too emotional to release Rachel's hand. Blaine winked at him before starting with the next song. As he began to sing again, Kurt felt Rachel leaning towards him.

"I think you know now, huh?"

Kurt didn't let go of Rachel until he jumped off his seat to hug Blaine once the show was done.

"Did you like it?" Blaine whispered in his ear, firmly enveloped in his arms.

"I loved it," Kurt answered with his lips against his neck, where he was hiding his face and taking in the wonderful scent of the boy he knew he had fallen in love with.

Blaine moved his hand slowly down Kurt's arm until their fingers tangled together. Kurt nuzzled against the scratchy skin covered with stubble on the other boy's jaw and Blaine leaned down to capture his lips in a tender yet passionate kiss. Kurt felt Blaine's tongue gently asking for entrance and a second later it was inside his mouth. They tasted each other, forgetting the people around them, forgetting about Rachel who was patiently waiting at the table for them, trying to hide her smile. As soon as things started to get too heated, Blaine pulled away, breathless. Kurt swallowed, his knees so weak he wasn't sure if he could stand on his own, but luckily Blaine had an arm around his waist. He sighed in contentment without being able to glance away from Blaine's eyes.

"Do you want to go?" Blaine asked with a quick kiss to his nose. Kurt smiled.

"Yeah, let's go home and I'll cook us some dinner," he said.

"Can I choose the movie tonight?" Blaine mumbled, pouting.

"Oh, honey, after that song, you can choose the movie every night," Kurt laughed and tugging at his boyfriend's hand, they walked to Rachel so they could go home together.

* * *

><p>Classes, homework and jobs were robbing too much time away from them. Blaine and Kurt could only enjoy a few minutes together when they were having dinner, and even the weekends never seemed long enough. Rachel was pushing herself harder than ever, between trying to be the top of her class and her job at the theatre. The three of them would collapse on the couch every night and admit they've never imagined life would be this challenging.<p>

Kurt was the one who had most to do when it came to homework. He constantly had sketches to do, huge books to read, fabrics to analyze, garments to make… his precious hours of sleep still hadn't been affected yet, but he knew that, as soon as he got a job, everything would become even more difficult.

Not being able to find a job was really getting him down. What if he wasn't good enough to do anything? What if his hopes had been too high?

"This city is a very competitive place, Kurt," Blaine had told him one night, while they were cuddling on the couch watching TV and waiting for Rachel to come home. "Even if you're not being too picky with the jobs you're applying for, there're a lot of other people trying to get them, too. That doesn't mean you're not good or that you'll never work. It just means that you need to be patient."

Kurt had snorted, frustrated, in response, sounding like a spoiled child who's mom refused to buy him ice-cream. Blaine had laughed and kissed the top of his head.

"Trust me, okay?" He asked, rubbing soothing circles on the other boy's back. Kurt nodded, his head resting on Blaine's chest, before their conversation was cut off by Rachel, who came in, the bag of take out in one hand, her keys in the other.

The end of November was getting closer and exams were starting for the three of them. Stress was beginning to take over and sometimes they didn't even have time to sit down and have dinner together. Their schedules got crazy and Blaine started wondering if he really could fit another job into his life. The gig at the coffee shop was amazing and he loved playing there (besides Kurt, it was the best thing he had going right now), but the money he earned from it wasn't much, and even with the tips it wasn't enough to cover his needs. The job at the library was also great, and it gave him time to study if it was a quiet day, but Blaine couldn't deny he was still worried. The idea of dropping out of college was still going around his head. It would be admitting defeat, admitting his parents had always been right about him.

That was the last thing Blaine wanted to do.

It was a boring night. He hadn't seen Kurt more than a few minutes that morning while they had a cup of coffee together and they weren't meeting up for dinner because both of them had a lot to deal with tonight. Kurt had to finish three sketches and Blaine had a 500 page book to read before the class he had the next afternoon. He had just stood up to make some coffee to help him through the long hours of reading when he heard something that paralyzed him in fear.

Someone was screaming.

Kurt was screaming.

Forgetting about anything else, Blaine ran from his apartment and into his friends' without even knocking, too scared to worry about it. What if Kurt had slipped in the shower and broken his arm? What if someone had broken in to their apartment? What if he was really hurt?

Blaine didn't expect to find Kurt jumping up and down and dancing around the kitchen table, hugging his cellphone against his chest as if he was holding his best friend. Blaine watched him in awe and confusion until the other boy noticed his presence.

"What the hell happened?" He asked, still half alarmed and half fascinated at how beautiful Kurt was right then and there.

Kurt threw himself into Blaine's arms, wrapping his arms around his neck to pull him closer. Blaine could feel tears wetting his skin. Putting his hands on Kurt's shoulders he pushed him away gently enough to look at him in the eyes. What was going on?

"Kurt, are you okay?" Blaine dried the tears with his fingers in a sweet gesture and the smile Kurt gave him was all he needed to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I got it, Blaine, I got it!" He screamed, going back to jumping, this time dragging Blaine with him.

"Whoa, calm down. What did you get? I don't understand what you're saying, Kurt!" Blaine also smiled, even though he had no idea what they were smiling for.

Well, he knew what _he_ was smiling for, because the reason was standing in front of him in a pair of tight jeans and a green button down. The mystery was what had gotten Kurt that excited.

Kurt took a deep breath to steady himself without letting go of Blaine. "I applied for a lot of internships for fashion magazines a couple of weeks ago and I just got a call from Vanity Fair and they want me to start next Monday!"

Blaine blinked a couple of times before hugging Kurt so tight the other boy had trouble breathing. "Oh my God, Kurt! I'm so happy for you! This is amazing!"

"I know, isn't it?" Kurt kissed him quickly on the lips. "I'm sure I'll probably be serving coffee to important people and the salary will be really low but..."

"This is what you want to do, this is your chance," Blaine smiled and looked him right in the eyes. "It doesn't matter how you start, Kurt, what really matters is how hard you work to get farther."

Kurt bit his bottom lip, and Blaine could see just how insecure he felt. "Do you think I can do this? Do you think I'm good enough?"

Blaine rubbed his hands soothingly up and down Kurt's arms a few times, never losing the smile or breaking eye contact. "No, I don't think so," Kurt's eyes flickered with fear. "I _know_ it."

Kurt relaxed visibly and smiled even wider and Blaine couldn't help but think he had never seen him like that before, so open, so carefree, so unafraid. Every time he looked at Kurt, since the very first day he's seen him, he had thought he was beautiful. Now, he thought beautiful wasn't a strong enough word. Breathtaking. Stunning. No. He was so much more.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered softly and Blaine couldn't fight the urge to kissing those pink, delicious lips.

Kurt kept smiling into the kiss as he tightened his grip around Blaine's neck, holding him as close as he could. Blaine's hands went down to his waist with the same intention, feeling the warmth of Kurt's body even through the layers of clothes. Just thinking about the gorgeous, pale skin that was hiding underneath sent shivers down his spine. Without realizing what they were doing, they moved towards the counter, Kurt pressing Blaine against it, their bodies fitting together as their mouths opened and their tongues met.

They had kissed plenty since the first time, but there was something new this time. It could have been the urgency with which Kurt grabbed Blaine's shirt in his fists, or the way Blaine couldn't suppress a groan that seemed to stir up all their senses. It could be the way they both pulled their hips away after a few minutes, to avoid awkward contact when the passion was starting to turn into raw heat.

When the need to breathe became vital, they ended the kiss, gasping, with blown pupils and swollen lips. Staring at each other as if trying to communicate without words, Kurt felt those deep hazel eyes swallowing him whole. He was lost in the amazing boy in his arms, dying to kiss some more, to taste, to nibble, to push, to feel. Blaine seemed to be thinking the same, devouring Kurt with an eager glance, his fingers digging harder into his hips, making his bones hurt in such a wonderful way he didn't know it was possible.

Diving in for another kiss, they clung into each other even closer, both completely aware of the other's desire now. Kurt's tongue went into Blaine's mouth and started twirling around his and _oh dear God_, where did he learn to do that? The tickling sensation shot through his entire body, heading directly towards his crotch and the next thing he knew, he's letting escape another soft, needy moan and his hips are trying to grind into Kurt's.

And it was then when they heard the voice (and Blaine was completely sure that she had a sixth sense especially designed to interrupt those moments when they were trying to take another step in their relationship) and Kurt growled (he actually _growled_) in frustration, their lips making a sloppy noise when they forced them to part.

"Kurt! Are you home?" Rachel called, too loud after the silence barely broken by moans and heavy breathing they had just shared.

"In the kitchen," Kurt answered, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Blaine's as they tried to steady themselves, hoping for their arousals to subside.

"Oh, hey guys!" She said enthusiastically, as she left her bag on the table and headed to the fridge to get some water. "I thought you two were going to study tonight. Are we all up for dinner, then?"

Kurt was too frustrated to form a reply, so Blaine was the one who spoke up. "Actually, Kurt got some good news, that's why I'm here."

With those words, Kurt forgot about his frustration and his excitement returned. He started jumping again, this time hugging Rachel as he told her everything that had happened and the next thing he knew, Blaine was being pulled into the hug and the three of them were bouncing around the tiny kitchen, bumping against appliances and laughing because hey, life can be extremely complicated sometimes, but right now it looked pretty damn good.

* * *

><p>He didn't say anything to Kurt about it when it happened because he had a lot on his plate already with his classes and his new job. Besides, Blaine said to himself, this was not about him. It had nothing to do with him. It was bound to happen eventually, really, and Blaine was shocked he had lasted this long.<p>

It was a Monday morning when he got the eviction notice. It said he had a week to pay the money he owed, or he would be out the door. It's not the kind of thing you wanted to read while you sipped your coffee before leaving for a class where you had a big test coming. He had to change his shirt due to the dark stains that appeared in the light blue fabric after he spilled the hot liquid all over the place.

This was a new load, something to carry around with him all day when he was supposed to be focusing on his lessons. It was the kind of worry he hadn't felt since Kurt kissed them all away what it seemed an eternity ago, but it wasn't really even three months ago. He walked into class, the notice folded in two inside one of his bag's pockets, as if carrying it around would provide a magical solution. Blaine knew what he needed to do, but doing it was an entirely different matter. He would have to give up his dreams, his goals and probably his future too just to be able to stay there one more month, one more week, one more day. He didn't have any more choices. There was no way he was crawling back to Ohio and he'd rather live under a bridge than return to his parents' house.

Blaine spent all of his free time looking for a solution he still hadn't thought of, or looking for that second (or _third_, if he counted the gigs on Friday night) job that could mean the difference between leaving or staying. He could see his life falling apart before his own eyes, but as much as he wanted to reach out and stop it from happening, it was like trying to hold a sand castle that was being struck by a forceful tide. It kept falling apart no matter what.

"Blaine?" The sweet voice spoke right into his ear, startling him. Blaine looked up to find Kurt watching him and frowning. "Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet, it's like you're not even here."

Blaine glanced around. He was, once again, at Kurt and Rachel's. He was lying next to his boyfriend on the couch, securely resting in between Kurt's arms, his head on his shoulder, a hand on his chest. He could feel the other boy's heart beating against his fingers. They were watching a movie, but Blaine had no idea which one, just as he had no idea how it was possible that it was Thursday night already and where the hell had the last few days gone?

"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered distractedly and Kurt frowned even more, pushing him away slightly so he could look at him in the eyes.

"Why are you lying to me?" He asked, half curious, half worried and Blaine couldn't help but feel amazed at how well Kurt had gotten to know him in such short time. Much better than people who had been with him his whole life.

"I'm not lying to you," Blaine assured him, but he didn't sound convincing at all.

This time Kurt pulled away completely and paused the movie. His face didn't show anything and Blaine hated not being able to tell if his boyfriend was scared, angry or sad. The distance between them wasn't really wide, but Blaine missed the comfortable warmth already and he didn't like the sensation.

"Is this… are you not happy?" Kurt asked, and there was an edge to his voice that made Blaine uneasy. "About us? Are you not happy about us?"

"What?" Blaine's eyes widened in surprise. "Kurt… no! No way, there's nothing wrong with us, I'm more than happy with you…"

"Then what's going on?" Kurt insisted, though knowing they were okay soothed him a bit. "I tried to talk to you, but it's like you're somewhere else all the time. I know something's wrong. Just tell me what it is."

Blaine didn't want to tell him any lies. Kurt didn't deserve it. They were together and Blaine wanted it to be that way for as long as possible. Kurt needed to trust him… and hell, Blaine needed to trust someone, too. Especially now.

"I'm being evicted, on Monday," he explained slowly, trying to silence the panicking voice inside him that was telling him he had nowhere to go and that he better come up with something soon.

"Ev-… _what_?" Kurt opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the words, but they weren't coming. "You'll be… oh my God, Blaine. Are you homeless?"

Blaine whined in complaint. "Oh, please, Kurt, don't say it _that way_."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt grabbed his hand in between his, tightly.

"Because it has nothing to do with you and because you have a lot to deal with already," Blaine answered simply, earning an eye-roll from the other boy. "It's true."

"You're my _boyfriend_," Kurt replied and Blaine felt that amazing tickle in his stomach, the one he always felt when Kurt said that word. "You're supposed to tell me these things, to ask for my help."

"You're busy."

"I'm never too busy for you," Kurt cupped his face in his hands, making sure Blaine looked at him in the eyes, making sure every word reached the other boy's ears.

That did it. The long hours of forcing himself to be strong disintegrated into nothingness as he let Kurt's arms wrap him to pull him closer. He hugged his boyfriend and felt the tears stinging in his eyes because everything was _fucking unfair_.

Kurt held him and rubbed his back while he patiently waited for Blaine to feel ready to talk about it. He kept making soothing noises while he kissed the soft, dark curls on the top of his head. He could feel Blaine's hot breath hitting the vulnerable skin of his neck. Blaine's lips brushed that same spot before sitting straighter to look at him.

He sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine, sweetie, but I want you to know that no matter what it is, you can always talk to me, okay?" Kurt caressed his cheek, feeling the stubble growing there under his fingertips. Blaine nodded slowly. "Is there anything you can do to avoid this? Maybe ask for a little more time while we find a solution?"

Blaine massaged his temple, feeling a headache coming. "No, I already talked to the apartment owner and he can't give me any more time. He needs me out of here by Monday."

"There must be something we can do," Kurt muttered thoughtfully, as his brain started working at high speed. "We'll think of something."

"I know what to do, Kurt, and I should've done it weeks ago, but I was stupid enough to think things would pick up," he stood up and started pacing the living room, needing to ease some of the tension. "I'll sell some of the things I have."

"Blaine, sweetie, your apartment is pretty much empty, what else could you possibly sell?" Kurt pointed out. They never spent much time at the other boy's place, but Kurt was aware of the lack of furniture and other belongings that Blaine had.

"I don't know, my laptop, maybe?" Blaine threw his arms into the air and his voice was bitter. He was so tired of giving everything up. He had spent his entire life giving stuff up and it wasn't supposed to happen again. He was supposed to have the life he had always wished there in New York.

"But you need it! You're always using it for school work and…"

"I'm dropping out of college, Kurt."

Kurt stopped midsentence, shocked, certain he couldn't have heard right. "Blaine, you can't drop out."

The other boy turned to look at him, defeated, sad, disappointed hazel eyes fixed on his. "Tell me what else I'm supposed to do."

There was a long silence in which both boys looked at each other helplessly. Kurt wanted to hold him in his arms and promise him everything would be alright, but how? He didn't know how to help him. He didn't know what to do.

The front door opened and they glanced up to see Rachel coming in. She looked tired but excited and her smile would've lit up the room if it wasn't because the atmosphere there was too charged with negativity.

"Oh, good, I was hoping you two would be here, I need to talk to you guys about the weekend," she said, taking her coat off to hang it on the rack by the door.

Kurt could see Blaine retreating, he could see him putting all the walls back up and hiding behind them. He reached his hand to let him know he was right there with him, that he didn't need to deal with all of it alone, but Blaine turned around.

"Sorry, Rachel, I have to go. I'll see you later," he walked towards the door, not looking back at either of the two friends who just stared at him, one in shock, the other in utter sadness.

"What's with him?" Rachel asked, frowning at Kurt and sitting on the couch by his side, once the other boy was gone. They didn't hear the door of the apartment opposite them open. Blaine had left.

Kurt didn't answer. He simply scooted closer and rested his head on the girl's shoulder. Rachel's smile abandoned her face as she put her arms around the distressed boy and Kurt didn't say a word for a while, too busy feeling the slow, sad beats of his heart and the thoughts going around and around inside his head.

* * *

><p>Blaine was trying to stretch as far as he could to reach the top shelf without dropping any of the books he was carrying. He was sure the girl who was sitting at the desk at the end of the row was doing her best not to laugh at him, he could see her giggling as she turned the pages in the book in front of her.<p>

Placing two other books in the same place, he moved to the next row of shelves to organize the rest. The girl stopped chuckling when he walked by her side. Any other time, he would've winked at her or made a funny comment, but not that day. Blaine was not in the mood to be laughed at; he wasn't in the mood to be at work and he definitely wasn't in the mood to do anything other than get in bed and hide under the covers. Everything was just wrong, all of it.

His favorite sound in the whole world reached his ears as he turned around to get more books to organize. It was barely a whisper, but he knew he could've heard it in any crowd.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Blaine Anderson?"

"Kurt?" He called, frowning as he walked towards the counter where his boyfriend was standing. The boy looked at him with a sweet smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you for a minute," he answered softly.

"I'm working," Blaine replied immediately, because he knew what this was about and he couldn't deal with it right now. "We'll talk tonight when I get home."

"I'm afraid it'll be too late to talk about it by the time you get home," Kurt crossed his arms over his chest, his voice firm and low.

"Kurt…"

"Go take a break, Blaine," his supervisor said from the other side of the counter. "You look like you really need one, anyway. Grab a coffee and take twenty minutes. Those books aren't going anywhere."

Blaine looked at the old man with a mix of confusion and desperation, before nodding. There was no way to get out of this now, so after taking a deep breath, he followed Kurt outside. It was a cold, cloudy day and Kurt sat down on one of the steps of the long, stone stairs. Kurt patted the spot next to him to invite him to sit down and Blaine did, wondering why he hadn't even bothered in taking his coat before going out.

"You know, Blaine, even when things are complicated, that doesn't mean you need to avoid me," Kurt started, his blue eyes drilling holes into his very soul. He didn't sound upset or disappointed, though, and Blaine thought that was something good, at least. "I went to talk to you this morning, but you were already gone."

"I'm fine," Blaine assured him in a tired tone. He looked at the boy for a few seconds. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be in a class right now?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Not important."

"Yes, yes it is important," Blaine insisted. "See? This is why I didn't want to tell you about it, you're already…"

"On my list of priorities, the people I care about come first," Kurt interrupted, his eyes sweet but sharp at the same time, as if he was warning the other boy not to argue with him about that point. "Yes, my classes are important and my job is important, but you're my boyfriend and you're not okay. What do you want me to do? And don't say I shouldn't worry about it, because I will."

Blaine sighed, wrapped his arms around his bent knees and dropped his head on top of them. "Why did I have to meet someone as wonderful as you when I can't be what you deserve? This is all wrong, Kurt."

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt moved closer, his hand resting on Blaine's back, rubbing circles, as he leaned his head so he could speak into his ear. "We already talked about this, remember? No one is perfect."

"You are pretty close to being perfect to me," Blaine turned his head so he could look Kurt in the eyes, not missing a second of the beautiful smile the other boy couldn't hold back.

"No. We're just perfect together," he answered. He kissed Blaine's stubbly cheek and intertwined his fingers with his.

Blaine felt it coming up his throat, something he couldn't stop, even when he tried his best to swallow it back. _It's too soon, it's too soon, you're going to ruin this, it's too…_

"I love you."

Kurt stopped breathing, his lips still against his cheek and his fingers tightened against his for a second. He moved back very slowly, putting just a few centimeters of distance between them so their eyes could meet.

"Oh my God, Kurt," Blaine panicked. Why had he said it? Why couldn't he save it for another time? He was telling him that he loved him and he didn't even know if he would be there two days later. "I shouldn't have said that. It's too soon and I'm…"

Kurt kissed him. It was a sweet, intense kiss and Blaine couldn't help but forget about his freak out for the few seconds their lips were touching. Kurt parted from him almost too quickly, but he was smiling and Blaine was speechless. He made sure to look right into those hazel eyes; he made sure that Blaine was looking right back at him.

"I love you too," he said in a low voice, yet loud enough for both of them to hear. Blaine relaxed immediately and smiled, too. Kurt caressed his cheek with cold, soft fingers and barely brushed his lips with the fingertips. "And this is pretty convenient, too."

"Oh, is it?" Blaine asked teasingly, because for just an instant he had forgotten about all of his problems, sitting there on a cold day with the boy he loved so close to him and being loved back.

"Yes, because I have a solution for you," Kurt replied and he sat up straighter, his face half serious, half excited. Blaine glanced at him questioningly. "Rachel and I stayed up 'til late last night talking about your situation and,- no, Blaine, let me finish," he put his hand on Blaine's mouth to stop him from talking. "I wanted to say something to you before you stormed out the door last night, but I had to talk to her first. So we did and she's completely okay with it," Kurt frowned thoughtfully. "Too okay with it, now that I think about it."

"What are you talking about?" Blaine was beyond confused and his words sounded muffled because of Kurt's hand.

"You're moving in with us," Kurt said simply, as if it was obvious. "You'll have to sleep in the living room because… well, I don't know if we're ready to sleep, uhm, you know, together, yet," he cleared his throat before trying to continue, only to be interrupted by Blaine.

"Kurt… no, I can't do that," his heart had stopped beating because he just couldn't believe how wonderful and selfless his boyfriend (and Rachel) were.

"Of course you can," Kurt dismissed his words without a second thought. "It's completely fine. You won't have to drop out of college and between the three of us working, we can afford everything just fine. I can even spend a little less on rent and a little more on clothes, which I'd like to do. Besides, let's be real here, you already spend all of your free time there with us. You only go to your apartment to sleep, Blaine. I don't think you even have food in your fridge."

Blaine opened his mouth, but he wasn't capable of saying anything. He couldn't understand how after years and years of looking for someone who just _cared_ about him, he had stumble upon someone as unique and amazing as Kurt Hummel.

"I… I completely understand if you think it could be weird and that maybe we haven't been together for that long to actually live together," Kurt added, because he was freaking out now that Blaine was so silent. "It doesn't need to be permanent if you don't want to. You can just stay with us until you figure out what to do, but I don't want you to give up on your dreams, Blaine, I don't want you to quit," he reached out to tuck back in place a rebellious curl that fell onto Blaine's forehead. "Please, say something."

Blaine licked his lips to gain some more time. "Are you… are you sure Rachel is okay with this?"

"Told you, _too_ okay with this," Kurt rolled his eyes.

"And you? Won't you feel awkward?" Blaine turned a little to the side so he could face Kurt directly.

"No, I won't," he shook his head. "I just want to help you, I want you to be alright and if I can do something about it, I will." He moved closer until their foreheads were resting together. "It really won't make that much difference. You're always in out apartment. The other day you even fell asleep on the couch and spent the night."

Blaine laughed softly, relief starting to settle inside him, travelling like a warm sensation from the top of his head to his toes. He looked into those amazing blue eyes and the love he felt seemed to be overwhelming for a moment, as if breathing, moving, living was too hard to do, because the only thing he could do was to _love_.

"Thank you, Kurt," he whispered.

"Is that a yes?" Kurt asked cautiously.

"That's a yes, roomie," Blaine smiled and two seconds later Kurt was squealing and holding him so tight all the air in his lungs left his body.

They held each other for a few minutes, too happy and too comfortable to move, before they remembered life was still going on around them. They stood up and kissed goodbye, Kurt assuring him he'd be at his show later that day and Blaine watched him climb down the rest of the steps and disappear into the crowded street with the biggest smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Blaine smiled and waved at the small, yet welcoming audience once he finished playing his last song that same night, before coming down from the stage and walking to the table where Kurt and Rachel were cheering louder than anyone else. He smiled, rolling his eyes a bit, before bowing down exaggeratedly and sitting next to his boyfriend.<p>

"You were amazing, Blaine," Rachel said with a huge grin on her face, still clapping like a little girl.

"Beyond amazing," Kurt added, putting his hand on top of Blaine's where it was resting on his thigh. Blaine felt a rush of happiness flowing inside of him when he looked at Kurt and saw nothing but love in those stunning blue eyes.

"Thanks, guys," he answered shyly, because he still couldn't believe he got to perform on a stage, no matter how small that stage was, and that he had the two most important people he had in his life right now coming to support him every week. "Do you want another coffee?" Blaine asked, seeing the empty cup his boyfriend had been playing with.

"I'd love to, but we don't have the time," Kurt replied, checking his cellphone. "We need to leave now in case the traffic is too heavy."

"Where are we going?" Blaine stood up, confused, donning his coat as Kurt and Rachel put theirs on.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you," Kurt muttered as he reached out to help Blaine with his scarf. "Rachel's going back to Ohio for the weekend."

"It's my dads' anniversary!" She held both of their arms and the three friends walked out of the café. "They're going to have a party with their closest friends and I knew they were sad because this is the first time I wouldn't be there, so I decided to surprise them."

"That's great, Rach," Blaine smiled at her as they arrived at Kurt's car. "Wait… did you say _dads_?"

"Yes, I have two gay dads," she frowned. "Haven't I told you that before?"

"No," Blaine held the back door opened for her and she gratefully climbed in. Kurt kissed his cheek before Blaine surrounded the car to the passenger's side.

"I was sure I told you when you came out to me," Rachel mumbled, thoughtful.

Kurt snorted sarcastically. "Oh, Rachel, please, he never got the chance to come out to you. You walked in on us kissing after we got home from our coffee date."

"And then you spent half an hour complaining about your broken gaydar, which I never truly understood," Blaine said, as Kurt drove off into New York's traffic. "And saying I didn't have the remarkable bone structure Kurt's brother has."

"I want my children to have better opportunities than me!" Rachel pouted from the backseat. "You and I would have very, very short kids, Blaine."

"You and Blaine are having no kids at all," Kurt interjected firmly, which only caused the other two to laugh.

They arrived at the airport with some minutes to spare and Rachel checked her luggage in. Blaine and Kurt walked her as far as they could go without boarding passes and hugged the girl goodbye.

"Thank you so much, Rachel," Blaine whispered in her ear as he held her tight. She knew exactly what he was talking about and hugged back just as tight when she noticed how emotional the boy was. "You're a great friend."

"We'll have a lot of fun living together," she answered when they parted, smiling at him. "I'm sorry I'm not going to be here to help with the moving, though."

"There's not much to move, don't worry," he squeezed her hand before she turned to Kurt. They shared a quick hug and Rachel kissed his cheek.

"We'll pick you up on Sunday night," he assured her and she waved one last time before leaving, looking back over her shoulder a few times just to see the two boys holding hands and lost in each other, lovingly.

_Yeah_, Rachel thought as she boarded her plane, _we're all going to be just fine_.

* * *

><p>"What are we going to do with all of the things that don't fit in your apartment?" Blaine asked distractedly as he closed a box full of books and pushed it towards the others that he was done with.<p>

"_Our_ apartment," Kurt corrected from the kitchen as he packed cups and plates carefully. "And that's up to you, honey, this is your stuff, not mine."

Blaine looked around, thoughtfully, standing up from his spot on the floor. It wasn't even noon yet and Kurt and he had made a lot of progress with the moving. Only the furniture was still in place and Blaine knew there wasn't much space for it in their apartment (he was moving in with his boyfriend, how crazy was that?). Besides, it didn't match Kurt's style at all and he knew he would have to get rid of it eventually, so why not now?

"I don't think we need any of this," Blaine answered after a moment. Kurt came out of the kitchen with a closed box and put it down with the others. "I guess I could sell the furniture and finally have some money to take you out on a date," he added with a smile as he watched the boy impatiently brushing away some hair that had fallen on his forehead.

Kurt also smiled and walked to him, throwing his arms around Blaine's neck. "We've been on dates before."

"Only coffee dates, and you paid most of those times," Blaine kissed the tip of his nose. "I mean a real one, with dinner and candles and music."

"Can I get flowers, too?" Kurt teased, biting his lower lip.

"Of course you can," they kissed softly for a few minutes before realizing they needed to go back to work.

Once everything was packed, they carried the boxes to the other apartment and Blaine took a look at the mess, unsure.

"Kurt?" He mumbled, as the other boy glanced at the living room with critical eye, trying to find a way to fit Blaine's mattress in a place where it wouldn't look so bad.

"Yeah?"

"Are you completely sure about this? You're not regretting it, are you?" Blaine saw Kurt sighing and turning to face him.

"Blaine, I spent two hours last night making room for your clothes in my closet," he said, cocking up a perfect eyebrow. "In my world, that's commitment."

Blaine laughed, all his remaining insecurities flying out the window and grabbed a couple of boxes that contained kitchen supplies to get them out of the living room. When he returned, Kurt was placing the picture of him and the Warblers next to the one with his and Rachel's friends from school.

"Is it okay if I put it here?" He asked as Blaine moved closer to him.

"It's perfect," Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist from behind and hooked his chin on the slightly taller boy's shoulder. He inhaled Kurt's sweet scent and held even tighter. "Mm, I don't want to move."

"Me neither, but we have no choice, silly," Kurt giggled softly. "The sooner we finish with this, the better."

"We're living together," Blaine pointed out in a low voice that didn't hide his awe.

"I know," Kurt smiled.

"I'm excited."

"I love you," was Kurt's reply and that only caused Blaine's heart to beat faster and harder and he was sure the other boy could hear it echoing against the walls. Kurt turned around in his arms until they were face to face.

"I love you, too," Blaine whispered, before letting their lips connect again. It was so wonderful to say those words and hear them back. He never wanted to stop kissing and holding Kurt, he was too afraid the amazing boy was just a product of his imagination and that he would disappear if he didn't hang on strongly enough.

Kurt pulled away before the kiss grew up too much in intensity and playfully shoved Blaine, smirking. "Start unpacking those boxes and I'll go put your clothes in my closet. I'll teach you the proper organization scheme later."

"There is an organization scheme for your closet?" Blaine asked, eyebrows knit in confusion.

"You can't just throw everything in there," Kurt answered in slight horror. "You need a plan. It makes putting outfits together much easier."

Blaine chuckled as he watched Kurt take a couple of boxes of clothes to his bedroom and then kneeled to start opening some himself. He started humming a melody distractedly and a few minutes later, Kurt was joining him from the other end of the apartment and both boys started singing at the top of their lungs. Their voices blended together and Blaine had to resist the temptation to grab his guitar and forget about all the work they still needed to get done.

After retrieving Blaine's mattress from the other apartment (which Kurt insisted would fit perfectly behind the couch in the living room, so it wouldn't be directly in sight and ruin his tasteful décor) and getting the furniture ready so Blaine could take it away and maybe sell it at a consignment shop, he closed the door to the place that had been his home for a very brief span of time and then sat down next to Kurt on the couch, in his new home. It was around five in the afternoon and both were tired, but happier than they'd ever been.

Kurt sighed in contentment and snuggled closer, his legs across Blaine's lap, his face hidden in the other boy's neck. Blaine started tracing circles in the small of his back and they enjoyed the silence and the proximity for a few minutes, just breathing in and out and realizing what a huge step they were taking.

"Mm, I'm too comfortable to move," Kurt mumbled, his lips moving over Blaine's skin as he spoke.

"Then don't," Blaine said, bringing him even closer. "Let's stay like this."

"Aren't you hungry?" Kurt asked lazily and then he kissed Blaine's neck lightly.

It was such a little kiss, but it shot a bolt of electricity through Blaine's body. He looked down to find Kurt looking up at him with wide, blue eyes and irresistible pink lips, mildly parted. He ran his fingers through Kurt's smooth, chestnut hair until his hand reached the back of his head and he pushed him forward, as he leaned down, to kiss him. Kurt fisted his t-shirt as he received all of Blaine's sudden passion and opened his mouth with no restraints. Blaine eagerly licked inside of it, his tongue slowly teasing his teeth and his own tongue before ending the kiss with a sloppy sound.

His hazel eyes were blown and bigger than usual and Kurt found himself feeling a different kind of hunger, one that he had rarely felt before in his life, and that made all of his blood rush south. He used the hold he had on Blaine's shirt to pull him down until they were lying on the couch, Blaine kneeling to maintain a safe distance between them, Kurt cupping his face to guide him into another breathtaking kiss.

Usually, when they started making out they wouldn't have time to really get into it before Rachel interrupted, or before it was time for them to get to work, or to class, so there was a sense of freedom, of urgency running through both of them. Nothing was coming between them anytime soon and they had the apartment for themselves for the rest of the weekend.

That was actually quite dangerous, too.

In a moment of boldness, Kurt sucked Blaine's tongue into his mouth, eliciting a loud moan from the other boy, which only caused him to suck harder. His hands moved from Blaine's chest to his sides, to his back. Kurt could feel his arousal growing strong and he wasn't sure where all of this was heading to, but he knew one thing: he loved Blaine and he wanted more of him.

Blaine was sure he was about to burst into flames. He had no idea what had gotten into Kurt, but he absolutely loved it. His knees were shaking from holding himself up, but he didn't dare to lie on top of Kurt, not sure about how he would react to having Blaine's obvious erection against his thigh. He tangled the fingers of one hand in Kurt's beautiful hair and used the other to follow the outline of his boyfriend's silhouette. When he was tracing back up, making a random pattern on Kurt's arms, shoulders and collarbone, he unintentionally moved over his chest and brushed a nipple. Even through the layers of clothes, it caused an instant reaction on Kurt, who jerked up towards his hand, silently asking for more. Blaine stopped the kiss to look at him questioningly to find him panting, his cheeks flushed and his entire body eager for Blaine's touch.

Surreptitiously, Blaine placed his fingers where he knew the hardened nub would be and rubbed delicately but firmly. Kurt threw his head back, clearly enjoying it, and Blaine took the opportunity to attach his lips to that amazing porcelain neck and taste the pale, smooth skin there.

"Blaine," Kurt groaned, his voice rough and strange. "_More_."

Blaine swallowed as he stopped kissing him. He wasn't sure what more actually meant in this scenario, but he was planning to move slowly so Kurt would have time to stop him if he did something he wasn't ready for. "Can I take your shirt off?" He asked, because that seemed like a perfect way to start.

"Yes, yes, take it off," Kurt shifted under him so Blaine could grab the hem of the shirt and pull it off. Kurt had to sit down for a moment, which only caused their hips to meet and there was no denying in how excited both were. Their erections barely touched, but it was enough to send them over a new edge. Blaine dropped Kurt's shirt to the floor only to feel frustrated when he noticed his boyfriend had an undershirt, too. He removed it quickly, which wasn't easy to do because Kurt was currently lapping at his neck as he barely moved his hips up to get some more friction.

Kurt fell back on the couch and Blaine went down with him, still trying to avoid too intimate contact and kissed his collarbone as he brushed his nipples again, this time getting an even better response. He couldn't believe how smooth Kurt's skin was and how good it felt on his lips. He just wanted to kiss more and more, to taste every inch of him, to let his fingers wander around…

Unexpectedly, Kurt put his hands on Blaine's waist and pulled him down. With a gasp, their crotches collapsed against each other, cocks fitting together too well, too deliciously, too irresistibly.

"Kurt," Blaine moaned, his head falling in the crook of Kurt's shoulder.

"Oh, Blaine, that is… that is so _good_," Kurt thrust experimentally, very slowly, and the bit of friction they got from it was tantalizing and only left them wanting more.

"I know," Blaine mumbled, amazed. This was like nothing he had ever felt in his life and it was because he was with Kurt. Everything was intensified one thousand percent because of the beautiful boy panting under him, the boy he loved.

"Take your shirt off," Kurt growled, craving for more skin

That tone of voice, of begging mixed with ordering lit Blaine up even more. He sat up and pulled the shirt off before discarding it on the floor, not even bothering to see where it landed. He was on Kurt again one second later, their chests pressed together and it felt beyond amazing.

Kurt's legs flew up to wrap around Blaine's waist and he started rubbing himself against the other boy frantically. Broken moans escaped from both boys as the tension and the heat began to become too much, too soon. Kurt's hands were desperately holding onto Blaine's back, his long, thin fingers digging into the firm muscles.

"_Nngh_, Kurt," Blaine managed to say because he could feel his brain melting and nothing seemed coherent anymore. "Kurt, I'm so-".

"Me too," he answered as he tightened the grip of his legs.

"We need to stop," Blaine muttered as he nibbled on the vulnerable spot behind Kurt's ear.

"What? No. No, stopping is bad, this is good," Kurt whined, his breathing becoming more and more shallow.

Blaine forced himself to be the strong one and stilled Kurt holding him by the waist, finishing his thrusts. "Kurt, sweetie, this feels incredible…"

"I know it does, why do you…?"

"I want to know we're not doing this for the wrong reasons," Blaine swallowed hard. His cock hated him right now. "I want to know we're both ready and not doing it just because Rachel's not home and she won't walk in on us."

Kurt stopped fighting Blaine's grip and tried to get back the air he had lost. He looked up at him and saw Blaine was really concerned about it. Silly, beautiful Blaine. "We love each other, right?" Blaine nodded. "And just because we're doing _this_, doesn't mean we're doing everything, right?"

"I want to touch you so bad," he said in a pitiful voice. Kurt almost laughed, but bit his lip right on time.

"I want to touch you, too," he admitted and, whoa, he'd never thought he would be saying something like this to a boy. Things had really changed for Kurt since he had left Ohio.

They smiled at each other, feeling a bit awkward even though they knew they had no reason to. Blaine leaned down to kiss him again, slower, gentler, picking up where they had left off. Kurt relaxed under him and they let the heat grow back again, gradually.

Kurt took his time to really look at Blaine now. He had an amazing body, dark hair covering his chest and abdomen in all the right places, his hip bones well defined… he could feel his mouth watering just from the sight and he found himself wanting to touch every single inch of him with his lips. He circled one of his nipples with his thumb, slowly, making the circles smaller and smaller until he was just pressing the hard little nub and watching Blaine come undone under his touch. It was seriously wonderful to see he could do that to someone.

And he wasn't even really started yet.

"We should… we should take our pants off," Kurt stuttered nervously.

"Yes, yes, please," Blaine agreed, grateful to get rid of some of the pressure.

They stood up and unbuttoned their jeans without tearing their glances apart from each other. Both boys kicked their pants off and stood there in their underwear (Blaine's was gray and Kurt's was dark blue, both tight boxers), just devouring each other with their eyes, until they couldn't stay away for another second, arms clutching clumsily, mouths falling into sloppy kisses full of want.

Starting to rub against the other again, they went back to panting helplessly very soon, hands wandering around, soft skin being caressed for the first time, raw desire meeting raw desire. Kurt hooked a finger under the waistband of Blaine's boxers and eyed him with a cocked eyebrow, asking for permission. Blaine nodded before leaning down to suck at Kurt's collarbone again and the paler boy knew he would be bruised in the morning.

Kurt slid down Blaine's underwear and gasped. He truly gasped. He was seeing a boy naked for the first time in his life and he was lucky enough to have a gorgeous one standing in front of him. Every inch of Blaine was perfect and mesmerizing and he couldn't decide where to touch first.

"You're making me feel uncomfortable, staring at me like that," Blaine rolled his eyes playfully, but something in his voice alerted Kurt that he really felt self-conscious.

"Sorry, I was just trying to convince myself that you're real," Kurt took a step towards him until their bodies were practically glued together and kissed him hard and passionately.

Blaine groaned before the kiss ended. "Come here," he said roughly.

He took Kurt's underwear off just like the other boy had just done with his and looked at him with the same fascination. Everything about Kurt was so flawless and impeccable, his body seemed so fragile, so pale, but after running his hands over it, he discovered it was deceptively strong and manly.

Unable to contain his temptation, Blaine reached to run his thumb around the head of Kurt's cock. Kurt immediately moaned and his knees threatened to drop him to the floor. Blaine held him with one arm around him as his free hand kept moving over his length, studying every reaction, every sigh, every twitch, every shiver it caused Kurt.

"_Blaine_," he moaned, and the sound, so delicious, so pleading, travelled right to Blaine's dick. "L-let's go to my bed, now, now."

"Okay," Blaine agreed, his entire body shaking with anticipation. Kurt kissed him hard on the lips and started dragging him towards his bedroom, kicking the empty boxes they had piled up next to the wall and scattering them all over the floor, barely keeping his balance. Blaine pushed him against the wall next to Rachel's bedroom and pinned him there, intertwining his fingers with his and licking his neck with a new urgency.

Kurt was completely lost in the sensations for a moment before he remembered his bed was just a few steps away and that everything would be much better there. He forced Blaine to let him move and push him towards the open door gently. Without breaking another heated, wet kiss, they reached the bed, Blaine's knees hit the edge and he fell on his back, Kurt going down on top of him.

Kurt straddled him and leaned down to suck one of Blaine's nipples into his mouth. Blaine groaned and bucked up, causing their cocks to brush together and Kurt couldn't help it anymore. He let his hips drop down against Blaine's and they started a slow, sensual rhythm, trying to get used to each other. Blaine's skin was beaded in sweat and it tasted salty on Kurt's tongue. He would have never thought he would've liked the taste of sweat but… shit, Blaine was seriously luscious.

"Oh, my God, Kurt," Blaine was starting to move with a little more speed and a little more certainty. Their cocks were rubbing against each other, slick with pre-come, the skin so hot it felt very close to igniting.

Kurt moaned brokenly, snapping his hips harder against Blaine's. Everything seemed too much and not enough at the same time. They both could feel the orgasm building inside of them, but the need for more, the need to draw this as long as possible was overwhelming.

Blaine wrapped his legs around Kurt's waist to bring him even closer and met every thrust, his lips never leaving the beautiful, soft skin of Kurt's shoulders. Kurt was slightly holding himself up on his elbows, his stunning blue eyes never leaving his boyfriend, kissing any inch of him he had near every few seconds, but completely lost in the waves of pleasure shocking him all over.

"I'll… I can't… soon," Blaine mumbled, his head falling back onto Kurt's pillow. His boyfriend's scent was all around him, in the sheets, in the covers, in the pillow, in his warm body moving on top of him. It was intoxicating and all of Blaine's senses were too vulnerable to it.

"_Yes_," was all Kurt could answer, his voice barely a strangled moan, his toes curling.

The end crushed both of them at the same time. Without warning, they were spilling their come together, long, pearly strings making a mess on their stomachs, on their chests, all sticky and hot. Kurt was sure he heard someone screaming, but whether it was him or Blaine, he couldn't tell. It was as if his body had shut down all the other functions, only capable of feeling this massive pleasure tingling all over his nervous system and everything else wasn't important anymore.

Breathing heavily, Kurt collapsed on top of Blaine, his limbs not able to hold him any longer, his face falling against the crook of his neck. He could feel Blaine's heart beating out of control where his lips were pressed against his pulse point and the way they were both gasping for air.

"That was fantastic," Blaine groaned, his voice still too rough and, hey, maybe it'd been him screaming.

Kurt nodded lazily. His eyelids were suddenly too heavy to keep open and he knew they were both gross, but moving didn't seem like a viable option at the moment.

Blaine raised his arms with the last bit of strength he had left and held Kurt tightly, his hands tenderly stroking the small of his back. This was a new kind of silence for him and he absorbed it. It was comfortable and full of happiness and so, so intimate. It was a silence that didn't need to be filled with pointless words, because their actions spoke for themselves. It was love in its rawest expression, in its purist state.

He felt Kurt moving to lie down beside him and he missed the warmth immediately, but his boyfriend was soon curling against him, their legs tangling, their hands meeting, his head resting on his chest.

"You know," Kurt whispered in a low, sleepy voice. "There's no reason why you couldn't sleep with me now."

Blaine smiled and buried his fingers in Kurt's chestnut hair. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, this is really nice."

"I think you realized there's no way to keep a mattress in the living room without it ruining your entire décor scheme," Blaine teased.

"Well, that too," Kurt admitted, opening one eye to peek at him. "It looks really awful."

Blaine laughed wholeheartedly and cuddled his boyfriend a little closer.

* * *

><p><strong>The song Blaine sings in this chapter is Something, by The Beatles.<strong>

**Please review, it'd make my day! (And my week, 'cause it was quite awful, too).**

**See you all in the next (and hopefully, last!) part.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone. This is the last chapter. Please read the author's note at the end!**

**I own nothing, as usual!**

* * *

><p>By the time they got to the airport the next night, Rachel was already there, looking around with a frown and constantly checking her cellphone to see if she had any missed calls from her friends. When she saw them rushing towards her, holding hands, faces flushed and breathing heavily from running, she tapped her foot and looked at them questioningly.<p>

"We're so sorry, Rach," Blaine said immediately, releasing Kurt's hand to hug her.

"Have you been waiting for long?" Kurt asked as he did the same, eying her guiltily.

"About fifteen minutes," she answered. "What happened? Traffic?"

"Uhm," Blaine glanced quickly at his boyfriend, who had a blank expression on his face. "Yeah, traffic was impossible."

Rachel's lips spread into a wide, knowing smile. "Oh, my God, you guys totally did it!"

"Rachel!" Kurt said, scandalized, when he noticed a few people staring at them thanks to their friend's loud announcement. "Could you keep it down?"

"So it's true?" She asked and Blaine decided to avoid answering by grabbing her suitcase as Kurt held her by the elbow and dragged her towards the nearest exit. "Your silence only confirms it! I can't believe it, I want all the details!"

Kurt took a deep breath as he smiled apologetically to a couple they almost ran over while trying to reach the parking lot as soon as possible. "Rachel, stop talking."

Rachel started bouncing excitedly, like a five year old at Disneyland. "Guys! I'm so happy for you! What a great idea I had, going away for the weekend. If I had known you wanted to have sex I would have…"

"For the love of God, Blaine, if you don't shut your friend up I'll have to kill her!" Kurt practically yelled in embarrassment and frustration as he opened up the back seat door so they could put the suitcase there.

"Wait," Blaine said, confused and, yes, a little amused. "Why is she _my_ friend now? You've known her for longer, she was _your_ friend first."

"I don't care, do something or you'll sleep on the couch tonight," Kurt walked around the car to get into the driver's side. Blaine turned to Rachel with a puppy dog expression on his face.

"Oh, Rach, you've gotten me into trouble already," he sighed.

Rachel didn't seem to care about that. All she did was jump right into his arms as she laughed. "This is so amazing!"

"I'm glad my sex life makes you so happy," Blaine whispered, as he patted her on the back lamely.

She pulled away just enough to look at him in the eyes with the biggest smile he had ever seen in his life. "So you guys _do_ have a sex life now."

Blaine knew he was smiling too and that there was no way he could deny it or even make Rachel drop the topic. The truth was his mind was wandering back to the events of the weekend and he couldn't stop from feeling so utterly lucky to have someone as beautiful and wonderful as Kurt Hummel.

Saturday had gone by in a blur of discovery. They had stayed up most of the night exploring each other and repeating the incredible things they had done that afternoon. Blaine had known for the first time ever what it was like to fall asleep and wake up next to the person he loved and he decided it was the best sensation in the world.

In the morning, he had woken Kurt up with breakfast in bed, which ended up getting way more heated than he expected. It was as if they just couldn't get enough of each other. Later they had gone for a walk around the park before going back to the apartment to get ready to pick up Rachel. And that's where things got a little bit out of control, when Kurt decided he would join his boyfriend in the shower.

"It must have been one hell of a weekend for you to have that silly satisfied grin on your face," Rachel commented playfully, bringing him back to reality.

Blaine shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and opened his mouth, intending to come out with a clever answer, but Kurt beat him to it.

"If you guys don't stop talking about this and get in the car, I'm leaving you both here and you'll have to walk home."

Neither Rachel nor Blaine wanted to see if Kurt was kidding or not. They got in the car in a flash.

* * *

><p><em>From: Blaine.<em>

_My last class was cancelled. Do you want me to go to the grocery store and pick something up for dinner?_

_To: Blaine._

_You should call Rachel. I don't even know if I'll be home by dinner._

_From: Blaine._

_What's wrong?_

_To: Blaine._

_It's chaos here right now. I have an endless list of things to do and Melissa is going to ask me to go get her stupid macchiato in the next twenty minutes._

_From: Blaine._

_Relax, sweetheart. The weekend is almost here._

Kurt sighed in frustration and set the cellphone down on his tiny desk. He would've answered Blaine, but he wasn't sure he could be civil to his boyfriend. He was tired, getting a splitting headache and he was sick of staring at six hundred envelopes and wedding invitations he was supposed to have ready before leaving. One of the chief editors was getting married and Kurt (who wasn't invited, by the way) had to do all of the wedding things nobody else would do because they were boring as hell. He was also supposed to go online and order a bunch of books from Amazon that another of the editors needed for a research on an article, get Melissa's (his direct boss) coffee and, on top of everything else, finish a sketch he needed for one of his classes the next morning.

If it wasn't because he was learning so much being there, Kurt would've quit after the first week. The internship was tiring. He had managed to schedule all of his classes during the mornings, except for two he had on Wednesdays and Fridays afternoons, and the rest of his time was spent in the office. He could be doing pointless, uninteresting tasks like the ones he was working on right now, or sometimes be lucky enough to assist in important meetings with all the important people of the magazine if someone asked him to go and take notes or help in some way. He knew he should be grateful for what he had, but days like these… he wasn't sure he had made the right decision.

Kurt's hands were covered in paper cuts (he would need tons and tons of moisturizing to recover) and his mood couldn't be more disastrous. He looked at the time on his cellphone. Maybe if he stayed at the office 'til 10PM…

A paper cup was suddenly in his line of sight and the delicious and addictive smell of coffee filled his nostrils. He looked up in surprise to find a smiling Blaine looking down back at him.

"Blaine!" He exclaimed, jumping off his seat. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd drop by and lend you a hand," his boyfriend answered. "I brought your boss' coffee and I got you a cup of non-fat mocha. That way you don't need to lose time going down to the coffee place and you get a little energy to finish whatever it is that's driving you nuts here."

Kurt stared at the boy standing in front of him. Blaine was seriously gorgeous. His cheeks were rosy because of the cold air, his scarf messily placed around his neck, his long black coat had a few melting snowflakes on it and his curly, gelled hair was a bit disordered by the wind. The two cups he was holding seemed the greatest things in the world to Kurt at that very moment.

"How are you even real?" He muttered, his stomach once again doing that funny thing it did every time Blaine was being exceptionally wonderful.

"You sounded really miserable in those text messages," Blaine said, leaning down on the desk, if there even _was_ a desk under all those wedding invitations.

"I'm fine," Kurt assured him, taking a sip from his coffee. "Just exhausted and stressed."

"Can I help with anything now that I'm here?" Blaine asked, kissing the top of Kurt's head gently. His boyfriend smiled up at him.

"No, you've done more than enough, sweetie."

"I love seeing you smile," Blaine whispered, his hazel eyes full of affection.

"I can't help it," Kurt knew they were being a cheesy lovey-dovey couple, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "I wish I could just go home with you now, but I still have a ton of things to do."

"I'll tell you what," Blaine's hand cupped his cheek and Kurt's day was a little brighter. "I'll pick up some things on the way home, get dinner ready and I'll save you some for you to eat later. And once you get home I'll give you a nice massage and you can forget about work and school until tomorrow, what do you think?"

Kurt sighed, the prospect of getting home to Blaine that night too appealing and too distant. "Mm, sounds pretty amazing to me."

"Perfect," Blaine stood up. "I'm gonna get going then, so you can go back to work and finish as soon as possible. I'll see you tonight, honey."

"Thanks, Blaine," Kurt raised his head and received the tender kiss Blaine was offering. He was sad when his boyfriend had to pull away. "I love you."

"Love you more," and with a wink, Blaine was gone.

Kurt took another sip from his coffee before standing up to take the macchiato to his boss. His energy level felt suddenly renewed and Kurt was sure that Blaine's promise to give him a massage that night had a lot to do with it.

Even when the job of his dreams wasn't going quite as well as he'd planned, he had to admit that his life was kind of fantastic right now.

* * *

><p>It was freezing outside. Blaine entered the building quickly and started climbing up the stairs with a fast pace so he would regain the warmth he lost by walking the streets of New York City. He had his earphones on and he was humming happily to the songs he was listening to. He knew Kurt was home already because he had received a text from his boyfriend when he was leaving his last class of the day. It was the first time that week that Kurt was home earlier than him and Blaine was excited to spend some time with him, even though both of them had a lot of school work to focus on. At least they could sit together in the same room and work side by side.<p>

He was reaching the second floor when he stumbled upon an old couple. They were carrying shopping bags and both look exhausted. Blaine took the earphones off and smiled at them.

"Would you like some help with that?" He asked politely and the couple turned around to look at him.

"Oh, dear, that would be so nice of you," the lady answered with a big smile on her face.

"Are you new in the building?" Blaine said as he grabbed all the bags the woman had and a few from the man as well.

"Yes, we moved in yesterday," he muttered. "My name is Gary, this is my wife, Doris."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Blaine," he gave them another smile as they kept going up. He made sure he wasn't going too fast so they could keep up with him.

"We're just on the third floor, Blaine," Gary added with a smile of his own.

"I'm on the same floor, so it's fine," Blaine replied. "You must have moved into my old apartment. I moved a few weeks ago."

"You did?" Doris asked as they reached the third floor and walked to what was Blaine's apartment not so long ago.

"Yeah, I moved in with my… oh, hey!" Blaine looked brightly at Kurt, who had just opened the door and was peeking into the hallway.

"Hey yourself, I thought I heard your voice," he smiled at the other boy and Blaine couldn't help but think how cute his boyfriend looked in the red apron he had wrapped around his waist.

"I'm helping our new neighbors, they moved into my old apartment yesterday!" Blaine explained.

"Oh, that's nice. Welcome, then!" Kurt extended his hand to greet Gary and Doris, who responded gently.

"These are Doris and Gary," Blaine introduced as he handed the bags back to the old couple and then went to stand next to Kurt. He kissed his cheek. "This is my boyfriend, Kurt."

The change in the air was almost tangible. The awkwardness seemed to float between them as the old couple shared a quick glance of understanding. Blaine looked at Kurt with a sad smile: being in New York they had forgotten there were still people out there who weren't as open minded as others. They'd forgotten people like the ones they had met in Ohio existed here too.

"Alright," Kurt said, uncomfortable, trying to find the fastest way to get into their apartment. "It was lovely meeting you."

"Yeah, let's go inside, Doris," Gary mumbled as he pushed his wife through the open door.

Blaine didn't even bother feeling offended; he just turned around, grabbed Kurt's hand and entered his home without looking back. Kurt closed the door and leaned his back against it.

"That was interesting, to say the least," Blaine moved closer to kiss his boyfriend on the lips, just a sweet little peck.

"That was _rude_, to say the least. Did they even thank you for helping them? It's like they're afraid they're going to catch the gay," Kurt rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Well, let's look at the bright side," Blaine was still smiling. How could he worry about what a couple of ignorant strangers thought about him when he had the most gorgeous creature in the world right in his arms? "Now we don't have to worry about boring dinners we could have been invited to or having to help them move furniture around…"

"We should just have sex against the wall so they can hear us," Kurt cut off, still clearly pissed, which didn't stop Blaine from chocking on _freaking air_ at his boyfriend's words. "And be loud. Really, _really _loud."

Blaine blinked a couple of times, waiting for Kurt to start laughing and saying he was kidding, but the boy was completely serious. In fact, Kurt's hands were starting to roam down his sides, pulling Blaine a little closer.

Of course Blaine didn't need to be told twice. He moved forward until his lips caught Kurt's in a searing kiss, their bodies pressed flushed against each other. Kurt's hands were grabbing tightly at his waist and Blaine had the sensation he would have marks in the morning. He groaned at the thought.

"Rachel isn't home, right?" He asked in between kisses, moving his mouth down Kurt's jaw and neck.

"Not yet. I think we have about… fifteen minutes," Kurt answered thoughtfully, as he pulled at Blaine's coat to try to get him out of it. Blaine unlaced Kurt's apron and let it drop to the floor. Kurt forced him to take a step back so he could get rid of his coat and scarf before their lips found each other again, eagerly. Blaine crept his fingers under the hem of Kurt's shirt, slowly caressing the pale skin there, as Kurt tugged on his belt.

"I've never seen you like this," Blaine growled, softly nibbling on Kurt's neck.

"Well…" Kurt whispered, unbuttoning Blaine's cardigan and sliding it down his shoulders. "I've been missing you all day and now this… I can't control myself, Blaine."

"Don't," Blaine begged, his voice rough, as he thrust involuntarily against Kurt's leg. "Never hold back with me. You're so amazing…"

"Mm, eleven minutes," Kurt muttered breathlessly, as Blaine brushed his fingers over his nipples.

They kept rocking against each other as they removed the remaining items of clothing. The rush only made the temperature go higher and the broken moans that they would've normally tried to muffle, couldn't have been contained even if they had tried to.

"Oh God, Blaine, please, hurry," Kurt moaned with urgency, as the other boy kicked his underwear off. Once they were both completely naked, Blaine pressed his boyfriend harder against the wall and they started moving desperately, seeking friction. Their kisses became sloppy and the tension was overwhelming. They needed to get off so badly, but Rachel could walk in any minute now…

"We… we should go to the bedroom," Blaine managed to say, which was kind of feat, considering Kurt was busying himself biting his lower lip and sucking it into his mouth.

"No, no," was Kurt's panting response. "I want you here."

Well, okay, this was probably Blaine's hottest experience ever. He couldn't tell if Kurt was behaving this way because of that little encounter on the hallway or if it was for another reason, but damn, he wasn't going to complain about it.

Just as those last words were whispered into his ears, Kurt's hand travelled down, right between their bodies and a second later he was closing his fingers in a tight grasp around both of their cocks. Blaine hissed as he started pumping them up and down frantically, pre-come leaking, making the action of rubbing against the other even more delicious than what it already was. This wasn't going to last much longer.

"_Nngh_, Kurt, yes, just like that," Blaine moaned, moving his hips forward to meet Kurt's hand.

No more words were spoken. Just incomprehensible noises were released into the otherwise silent apartment. Blaine slid a hand down to help Kurt and together they pushed each other to the very edge of their orgasms. They groaned in pleasure as they spilled onto their hands and stomachs, legs threatening to drop them boneless to the floor.

Breathing hard, Kurt dropped his head onto Blaine's shoulder. He knew they needed to move and get dressed quickly, but his brain and his body didn't seem to connect at all.

"_Shit_, Kurt…" Blaine mumbled, still amazed.

"I know…" Kurt's voice sounded hoarse and if Blaine hadn't just come his mind out, he would have gotten hard again just by it. "Was it too much?" He frowned, visibly concerned.

Blaine laughed as he leaned down to grab the shirt he had been wearing just minutes ago. "Of course not." He used the shirt to wipe Kurt's stomach and hand clean before he did the same with his own. "It was kind of awesome, actually."

Kurt grinned widely, obviously relaxing and he moved forward to kiss Blaine fully on the lips. "Ugh," he said as they parted. "We need a shower."

"No, what we need is to get out of here before Rachel walks in on us," Blaine answered, taking his hand and tugging, as they tried to pick up their clothes as fast as they could.

"You think the neighbors heard us?" Kurt asked as he put his pants and underwear back on, knowing he couldn't shower until he finished with dinner.

"Do you really care?" Blaine kissed him one last time before rushing to the bathroom. Kurt had just put his shirt on when the front door opened and Rachel arrived, humming a melody and dropping her stuff on the couch.

The next morning, when Kurt was leaving for his classes, he met the old couple in the hallway.

"Good morning! Such a beautiful day, isn't it?" He said joyfully, winking at them.

Doris blushed and looked away while her husband glared at him. Kurt had to bite his lip to stop the laughter from bursting out and went down the stairs, thoughts of last night and Blaine still impregnated in his memory.

* * *

><p>A few nights later, Blaine was home earlier than the other two because one of his classes had ended unexpectedly sooner. He was grateful for the extra hours he could spend at the apartment catching up on a mountain of homework and maybe, if he was lucky enough, spending some time with Kurt and Rachel. They hadn't enjoyed one of their epic movie nights in a while, overwhelmed by work and school as they were lately.<p>

He finished reading two chapters from a book he had been assigned for a class the next morning while having a cup of coffee, spread out on the couch, enjoying the silence broken only by the sounds of traffic and life coming from the window. He was starting to write an essay on his laptop when the front door opened and Rachel rushed in, smiling brightly when she saw him.

"Hey, Blaine! You're home early," she commented, as she leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, I'm getting some work done," he answered, eying her suspiciously. "What's with you?"

"I have a date tonight," Rachel announced, evidently not able to hold back her enthusiasm. "It's a guy from my Theater History class."

"That's awesome, Rach!" He said, genuinely happy. "When did he ask you out? You didn't mention it!"

"Oh, it was today, actually, just a few hours ago," she dropped her bag next to the pile of books Blaine had on the coffee table and sat down. "Do you think Kurt is going to be home soon? I'd like some outfit advice."

"Sorry, I don't think so," Blaine sighed. "I texted him but he didn't reply. It must be chaos in that office again."

Rachel nodded, thoughtfully. "Well, I'll have to trust my instinct, then."

"Would you like my help? I'm not Kurt, but I'm still an extra pair of eyes," he offered, putting the laptop aside. She agreed immediately and they walked into her bedroom, where she opened her closet. They both stared at the contents of it. "Okay, I thought Kurt was kidding when he told me you needed an intervention, but you _do_ have too many sweaters with animals on them."

"Shut up, they're adorable," Rachel discounted his comment with a gesture of her hand and took a few dresses out of their hangers. "I think these could be appropriate options."

"Where is he taking you?" Blaine questioned as he studied the dresses. None of them were actually nice, or what Kurt would have advised her to wear, but she didn't have much to work with.

"Dinner and a movie, I think," she replied, her arms crossed over her chest, deep in thought.

"Kurt would kill me if I let you out of the apartment in this, put it back in the closet," Blaine said, giving her the first dress, which was pink plaid and looked like something a four year old would wear to her first day of kindergarten.

"You're as mean as your boyfriend." But Rachel complied and put the dress away, searching for some more adequate choices as Blaine analyzed the ones that were still resting on her bed. "Do you and Kurt have any plans for tonight?"

"We don't actually," Blaine dismissed another dress, this time a blue one. "I have a lot of work to get done and I'm sure Kurt does too. He's always got something to work on lately."

"Winter break is almost around the corner, you guys will have time to relax soon," Rachel dropped a few more clothes on the bed.

"Those jeans always look really cute on you. You should wear them more," Blaine pointed out.

"Are you sure? With a sweater?"

"Yes, but not one with a bird or a cat or a cow on it, Rach."

They spent the next half hour picking out a pair of shoes and a sweater that would look good. Blaine had to keep Rachel away from Kurt's wardrobe when she said she'd like to check if there was something her friend had that she could borrow. He convinced her that it wasn't worth it to die over something as mundane as an outfit and finally she settle on a cute, red turtleneck sweater.

"You look beautiful, Rachel, stop worrying so much," Blaine mumbled once she reappeared in the living room after taking a shower, drying her hair and getting dressed. The sun was already setting and Blaine had completed half of his essay. He was considering taking a break and getting dinner started so he could maybe surprise Kurt and have some quality time with his boyfriend while Rachel was out.

Rachel's date picked her up not so long after that and she left after kissing his cheek again and thanking him for his help. Two minutes later, he received a text message from her (_He told me I look pretty, thanks B!_) that made him smile as he chopped some tomatoes to make a sauce.

When he was done in the kitchen for the moment, he sat back down on the couch to finish his essay. Finishing papers always was the hardest part for him and he was totally focused on it when Kurt arrived, an hour and a half later.

"Hey, Kurt," he said distractedly. "Rachel had a date. I'm making spaghetti. We'll eat in a minute, let me try and get this done first…"

"Okay," Kurt answered, his voice sharp and not at all as sweet as Blaine was used to hearing it. That made him glance up from the screen towards his boyfriend, who was going into their bedroom without even stopping to give Blaine a kiss or look at him.

"Is everything alright?" Blaine asked, worried.

"Fantastic," Kurt's response came sarcastically from the other room. A few seconds later, he let out a long sigh of frustration. "Damn it, are you kidding me right now?"

Blaine frowned and stood up, walking to the bedroom and leaning against the door frame. "What's wrong?"

"This, Blaine, this is wrong!" Kurt exclaimed, obviously annoyed as he threw clothes into the plastic basket next to the closet. "You said you'd take care of laundry and look at this mess. Everything's dirty. And look! Here's my Marc Jacobs shirt! I wanted to wear it tomorrow and it's still dirty!"

Blaine's eyebrows shot up in surprised. "I'm sorry, Kurt, I had a lot to do and didn't have time to take care of it. I'll do it tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning won't do, Blaine," Kurt replied, glaring at him, upset. "It was your turn to do this and you didn't."

"Whoa, why don't you take a deep breath, honey?" Blaine suggested, raising his hands defensively. "Did you have a bad day at work?"

"No! I just want my boyfriend to do what he was supposed to do! I'm not the girl in this relationship and this kind of thing shouldn't be only my responsibility!" Kurt was yelling and Kurt never yelled, so what the hell was going on?

Blaine was tired, stressed and definitely not in the mood to be yelled at for something as stupid as laundry. "I've never said you were! I forgot, okay? It doesn't mean you'll have to do it, it just means I didn't do it today and I'll have to do it tomorrow." Kurt had turned his back to him now and was taking his boots off. "Besides, you have no reason to say I treat you like the girl in this relationship. That's absurd and it offends me. I'm making dinner right now, aren't I? I went grocery shopping yesterday! I spent an hour last Sunday cleaning the fucking bathroom!"

Kurt threw his boots, furiously. There was no doubt something wasn't okay. It was the first time Blaine had seen his boyfriend treat his footwear so carelessly. He didn't answer and Blaine huffed. He didn't feel like fighting with Kurt. They'd never fought before. Wasn't their relationship supposed to be the one part of their lives where they didn't need to feel bad about themselves, where they didn't need to worry about doing something wrong, where they could be completely stress-free?

"Fine. I'll go finish dinner and you can come eat with me whenever you're ready," Blaine turned around to go to the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry," Kurt muttered bitterly.

Blaine closed his eyes, swallowing back the confusion, the hurt and the anger. "Why don't you tell me what the hell is all of this about, Kurt?"

"Is it too much to want clean clothes?" Kurt spat.

"It is when you're using it as an excuse to not talk to me. It is when you're using it to make me feel like crap when I haven't done anything wrong!" Blaine yelled back and hey, that was new too. Blaine was never one to raise his voice either.

"You know what, Blaine…-" Kurt started, walking towards him, but he cut himself off when the sound of the door slamming shut attracted their attention.

Rachel was back way earlier than expected, but that wasn't what shocked them the most. She was crying, sobbing into her hands and not in that dramatic way she seemed to usually cry. It was for real this time and the girl looked truly broken.

Blaine was the first one to react. "Rach… what's going on? What happened?" He asked, crossing the room to wrap her in his arms, as Kurt followed closely behind him.

"He… he…" she sobbed, choking on her own tears.

"Did he do something to you?" Blaine could feel his blood freezing at the idea of someone hurting his friend, but he relaxed slightly when Rachel shook her head.

"He… he's not Finn," she finally cried out, collapsing into the boy's arms. Kurt closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Oh, honey, you just can't get my big, goofy, clumsy brother out of your head, can you?" He whispered sadly.

The three of them moved to the couch, Rachel in the middle, pressed tightly against both of them as the boys tried to find a way to comfort her.

"I thought I'd be over him by now. I thought I could start dating again," she explained, her bottom lip sticking out in an adorable yet anguished pout. "I still can't understand. Why he couldn't love me enough to stay with me."

"His dreams weren't the same as yours, Rachel," Kurt said patiently, his previous rage forgotten. "He wanted different things, we already talked about this, remember?"

"Yeah, I know, but… why can't we be together anyway? We could've given a try to the long distance thing, at least," she sniffled, resting her head on Kurt's shoulder as she held tightly to Blaine's hand.

"Just because you're hurting now and because the guy you went out with tonight isn't the right one, doesn't mean you won't ever fall in love again," Blaine mumbled as he brushed some hair away from her forehead.

"It's always been Finn," she whispered quietly, as if she were a scared little girl.

What were they supposed to say to a girl that knew what she wanted and couldn't have it? What were they supposed to say when her heart was broken and they weren't the ones meant to mend it? Kurt and Blaine only cuddled her in silence, telling her they loved her every now and then and assuring her she would be fine and that she could always count on them.

After what it seemed like a really long time, she wiped her own tears away and moved so she could press a kiss to each boy's cheek. "You have no idea how lucky you are, guys."

"How so?" Blaine asked, smiling softly at her.

"You've got each other, you love each other, you're happy together," Rachel leaned down even farther onto Kurt's side. "I've always loved Finn, but I don't think I ever really understood how important he was to me and how lucky I was having him until I really lost him. I took him for granted and now I wish I hadn't been so stupid…"

Kurt swallowed and blinked before looking at Blaine, who was looking right back at him with sad hazel eyes. Kurt felt something sinking in his stomach at that glance, something heavy. The weight of guilt and stupidity.

Blaine cleared his throat, awkwardly, and kissed Rachel's hand before releasing it. "I'll go finish dinner. Did you eat, Rach?"

"Not really."

"Would you like some spaghetti?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll be right back," and with that Blaine disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the other two friends alone.

Kurt petted his friend's hair for a while, without saying a word, lost in his thought. He felt so bad… why had he yelled at Blaine? It wasn't fair to him and he shouldn't need to hear Rachel complaining about her lost love to realize that. He should know by now that the amazing guy he was sharing his life with wasn't something he should take for granted.

Feeling like the biggest jerk in the world, he smiled down at Rachel. "I'll go see if Blaine needs help and I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay. Can we eat ice-cream later?" She asked as she held onto a throw pillow as if it was an anchor.

"Sure, honey," Kurt winked at her before going into the kitchen. Blaine was stirring the pasta and didn't see him coming in. "Blaine?" He called slowly. His boyfriend turned around to look at him, emotionless. "I'm sorry."

A small smile tried to slide onto Blaine's lips. "It's okay, Kurt."

"No, it's not and we both know it," he wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist from behind and hooked his chin on his shoulder as Blaine went back to working on dinner. "I had a really bad day at work and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Blaine asked softly as Kurt placed a sweet little kiss on his jaw. Blaine started putting the pasta into three different bowls.

"Today everything made me doubtful. I don't know if I'm good enough to do this or not anymore. I don't know if I can deal with the fact that I may be doing all this in vain," Kurt said in a low voice, as if the mere thought of it terrified him. He sniffled a bit and Blaine knew that wasn't it. "And they criticized my outfit."

So that was it, Blaine thought. That was the real reason. Kurt's entire persona was sometimes built around his fashion outfits and not everyone got to see the real Kurt hiding underneath all the designer's clothes and bold combinations. Blaine was happy to be allowed to see the real boy he was so deeply in love with; because he was even more fabulous than the one he chose the show to the rest of the world.

Blaine turned around in Kurt's arms until he was facing his boyfriend. He cupped his face in his hands and kissed his nose tenderly. "You're so silly sometimes."

"But what if they're right, Blaine? What if I'm not talented? What if my vision of what's fashionable and tasteful is twisted?" Kurt looked really desperate now and Blaine couldn't help himself but think how adorable the boy was and how much he wanted to protect him in his arms and keep him from suffering.

"Sweetie, no one is right or wrong here. Taste is subjective and what they consider good, might not be good to others. It doesn't mean they're the ones who know how to do the job and you don't, it just means you have different ways to get it done," he brushed Kurt's lips with his fingers until Kurt started smiling. "You _are_ talented and you are more than capable of doing this. We all have doubts along the way, but you need to know you're truly amazing at this. I've seen your sketches; I've seen the grades your professors give you. And I may not know a lot about fashion, but you looked stunning today."

Kurt's smile was so wide it pretty much lit up the entire kitchen. He hugged Blaine tightly as if he would never let go. "I'm so sorry, Blaine, so sorry."

"I'll do the laundry tomorrow morning," Blaine answered, kissing his cheek before turning around to pour some sauce into each bowl of spaghetti.

"You don't have to, I'll…"

"Kurt, I'll do the laundry, just like I said I would." He gave his boyfriend two of the bowls. "Take this to the living room and I'll take the rest."

"I love you," Kurt said in a whisper and it was Blaine's turn to smile.

"I love you more."

They just needed to remember that and everything would work out eventually.

* * *

><p>As the winter break approached, things got even crazier. Rachel didn't even have time to worry about her broken heart and Kurt and Blaine hadn't been out on a date for weeks. Even laundry had to be forgotten by both of them on several occasions so they could catch up with homework and study for exams when they weren't at work. They needed those free days more than they needed air.<p>

Kurt had been taking things at the office a bit better, trying to learn what was useful and discarding all the rest. He didn't need people to bring him down, as Blaine constantly reminded him, he needed to learn how to trust himself and his talent because at the end of the day, those were the only things he could count on if he wanted to make it. So that's what Kurt tried to do.

Blaine, on the other hand, collapsed thanks to the stress of the tests and the cold weather and had to spend the weekend before the last week of classes in bed. He woke up in the middle of the night, feverish and nauseous and had to run to the bathroom, where his retching ended up echoing all over the apartment.

"Oh, sweetie," Kurt sighed from the door, sleepy and disheveled. He took a step closer, carefully, as if he was waiting for Blaine to banish him from the bathroom. But Blaine was way too busy holding the toilet and looking miserable to do that.

"I'm sick," he mumbled weakly.

"I can see that," Kurt smiled at him and sat down on the floor next to him, rubbing his back soothingly. Blaine was about to answer when a new wave of retching attacked him and he turned to the toilet once again. "That's good, gorgeous, let it all out."

"I hate throwing up," Blaine whispered as he wiped his mouth.

"I don't think anyone likes it, Blaine," Kurt kissed the top of his head, where his dark curls had gone wild while he was asleep. "Can I get you something?"

"No," Blaine whispered as he reached out to grab a towel. "Go back to bed, Kurt, I might be here for a while."

Kurt gave him one more kiss and stood up, leaving the bathroom. Blaine laid wretchedly against the cold tiles of the floor, closing his eyes and waiting for the nausea to come back. His skin was hot, but he was shivering and he wondered if he could maybe get into the shower and turn it on scalding before he had to throw up again…

Kurt entered the bathroom once more, this time with one of Blaine's hoodies on top of his pajamas. He had a glass of water in one hand and a blanket in the other. He covered Blaine with the latter first, who looked up at him gratefully, and then started searching through the cabinets, until he found some antibiotics.

"Here, take this," he kneeled down next to his boyfriend; letting Blaine leaned against him for support. "That should make the vomiting stop. Once we're sure you don't need to puke anymore, we'll get back to bed, okay?"

Blaine just nodded, feeling too worn out to do anything else and sipped his water slowly. Kurt held him close for a while, caressing his back, his arms, his hair. At least half an hour had to pass before Blaine felt well enough to go back to their bedroom.

Helping him into bed, Kurt climbed in on his side and cuddled Blaine gently, feeling the heat that emanated from his boyfriend's body. He couldn't fall asleep until he heard Blaine's breathing slowing down and felt the way the other boy clung to him in dreams. Kurt closed his eyes, hoping Blaine would feel better in the morning.

Once the morning arrived, Kurt woke up to find Blaine in the exact same position he had fallen asleep hours ago. He still looked pretty bad, dark circles under his eyes, skin pale and sweaty. He sighed and kissed his forehead, causing Blaine to stir and open one tired eye.

"How are you feeling?" Kurt asked in a whisper.

"Like someone used me to mop the floor," Blaine replied, closing his eye again and snuggling closer.

"Poor baby," Kurt held him tight and tried to comfort him. "I'll make you some tea and get you some more medicines, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine agreed, but didn't make a move to let Kurt go. Kurt laughed and allowed him to nuzzle into his neck. He hated seeing Blaine so miserable, but he kind of liked to take care of him at the same time.

When Kurt was finally free to move, he went to the kitchen, where he found Rachel having breakfast and already immersed in one of the books she needed to read for one of her tests.

"Good morning!" She said, taking a sip of her coffee. Then she looked up at him. "Whoa. You look terrible. Have you guys been up all night again getting dirty?" Rachel gave him her knowing smile and Kurt couldn't do anything else but roll his eyes.

"No, Blaine is sick," he answered, looking for a cup and a tea bag. "It was a rough night and he's not feeling any better."

"Aw, poor Blaine, that sucks," Rachel put her book down for a moment. "Do you need me to run to the store and get him something?"

"I think we're fine for now, but if he doesn't get better soon, I'll take him to a doctor or something," Kurt poured a cup of coffee for himself and started drinking it while he waited for the water for Blaine's tea to be ready.

Kurt came back into the room a few minutes later to find Blaine sneezing uncontrollably into a tissue. He drank his tea and took his medicines and then went back to sleep. Kurt helped Rachel tidy up the apartment a bit and when they finished, he sat down on his side of the bed with his sketches and books to get some work done while keeping an eye on Blaine.

Blaine woke up a few times during the afternoon, but passed out again almost immediately. He only threw up again once, but that seemed to consume the rest of his strength because it was physically impossible for him to stay awake. But Kurt felt relieved when he noticed his skin wasn't burning anymore and the color was coming back to his cheeks.

Rachel had left for work and Kurt was making some soup later that night when Blaine got out of bed. He walked to the kitchen, his messy hair sticking in every direction and a blanket wrapped around him like a shield, and sat down at the table, still looking miserable, but much more alive.

"I wasted all day in bed," he whined as he dropped his head to the table. Kurt smiled as he stirred the soup inside the pot.

"That's what you do when you're sick, silly," he answered.

"I had a lot to do and now I'll have to work all day tomorrow," Blaine complained, pouting.

"It's just this one last week and then we'll get to relax a bit," Kurt said, as he tasted the soup to check if it was alright. "Well, at least as relaxed as I can be during Christmas time."

"You're going to go crazy with all the shopping, aren't you?" Blaine chuckled lightly and ignored the growl coming from his stomach at the delicious smell of food.

"Probably. But if our relationship survives this time of the year, we'll be bulletproof," Kurt poured the soup into a bowl and winked at Blaine. The boy accepted it immediately, sinking the spoon into the scalding broth. "It's chicken noodle soup, I hope you like it."

"It's my favorite," Blaine smiled. "And don't worry, if Rachel asks I'll tell her it was vegan."

"Oh, it's fine, we already discussed about food a couple of days ago when I told her what I was planning to cook for Christmas."

"You're cooking for Christmas?" Blaine thought that soup was the most amazing thing he had ever tasted in his life and he made an approving noise.

"I always do, every year since before my mom died," Kurt answered, taking a seat next to him. "I used to help her in the kitchen and once it was only me and dad it was either me cooking or him buying take out."

"And what are you making this year?" Blaine asked as he sank the spoon back in.

"I still haven't entirely decided. I was thinking about turkey or maybe duck, because my dad really likes it, though he shouldn't eat more than… what?" Kurt stopped and frowned at the look on Blaine's face: his hazel eyes had suddenly widened and he had forgotten the soup completely, the spoon frozen halfway to his mouth.

"You… you didn't mention you were spending Christmas with your family," Blaine said quietly.

"I didn't?" Kurt seemed surprised. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I was sure I did. These past few weeks have been crazy and…"

"How many days are you going to be in Ohio?" Blaine asked. He felt sad, though he knew how much it meant for Kurt to spend time with his family. He knew his boyfriend missed them and was looking forward to seeing his dad again… but Blaine thought that for once in his life he could have a real Christmas, like the ones that were already fading from his memory, the ones when he was a kid and still believed his mom loved him and his dad was proud of him. The last few years he had spent Christmas at Dalton, refusing to go back home for the break (his parents didn't even bother trying to convince him to go home anyway) and the previous years had been a blur of parties at his uncle or grandma's houses, being constantly told by his dad to never mention anything about _his condition, to behave and to try and not embarrass them for once_.

"I'm not going to Ohio," Kurt replied.

"Then…"

"They're coming here."

If Kurt thought Blaine had reacted strangely before, it was nothing compare to the way he did now. He let the spoon fall, making a lot of noise when it hit the porcelain bowl, splashes of soup going all over the table as he stood up, almost dropping the chair to the floor with the abrupt movement.

"_Here_?"

"Yes, Blaine, here. They haven't seen my new home yet and Carole said she always wanted to spend Christmas in New York…" Kurt tilted his head to the side, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Does your family know about me?" Blaine asked, fidgeted.

"Of course they do! I tell my dad everything!" Kurt smiled, without really understanding what was causing Blaine to act that way.

"Everything? _Everything, everything_?" He repeated, swallowing.

"Do you have a fever again or are you at a loss for words?" Kurt stood up as well, walked to his boyfriend and forced him to sit back down. His smile disappeared when he looked closer at the boy in front of him. "Blaine… are you _shaking_?"

"No…" Blaine said, maybe too quickly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes."

"Why? There's no reason for you to be like this!" Kurt assured him, cupping his face in his hands.

"I've never had to meet my boyfriend's parents before. You're my first boyfriend and I just…" Blaine swallowed again and if it wasn't because he was really concerned, Kurt would've laughed at how adorable and silly he was. "What if your dad doesn't like me?"

"He'll like you," Kurt answered firmly.

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't?" The hazel eyes fixed on the blue ones, intently.

Kurt brushed his fingers on his stubbly cheeks and smiled again because he couldn't help it anymore. "He'll like you, Blaine. And if for some unbelievable, improbable reason he doesn't… then it means he's blind and I don't care. _I_ like you. And I'm the one who's with you, right?"

Blaine brightened up a bit. "Right."

"I'm the one who kisses you, right?"

"Right."

"I'm the one you sleep with, right?"

"Right."

"Then we'll be fine," Kurt kissed the tip of his nose.

Blaine relaxed and his stomach reminded him that the soup was still there and he could eat it, so he grabbed the spoon. "Are they staying here with us?" He asked as he looked at the little, nearly too tiny apartment, a bit worried.

"Of course not, where would they sleep?" Kurt brushed back a few curls that had fallen on Blaine's forehead. "They'll stay at a hotel and they'll come over for Christmas."

"Is Finn coming, too?"

"Yes," Kurt answered and they both shared a glance, knowing why Blaine had just asked that. "I talked to her, she says she'll be fine."

"Do you believe her?" Blaine's smile turned a little sad.

"Not really, but I can't tell Finn that he's not welcomed here. I can't tell my brother that I'm only inviting my parents over…" Kurt watched as Blaine finished his soup and then poured him some more before the boy even had the chance to ask for it. "We're not going to be here all the time, anyway. My dad and Carole had never been in New York before, so they want to walk around the city and I'm sure my dad will drag us all to some game."

"What about during Christmas? Finn's going to be here and Rachel's going to be here, too." When he had met Rachel Berry months ago, Blaine had never imagined he would care so much for her as he did now. He loved the girl to death, she was like a sister to him… and seeing her so brokenhearted killed him.

"We'll work something out, eventually. And she told me she was invited to the party the theatre where she works is throwing, so maybe that will help…" Kurt sighed. He had thought about this for weeks and still wasn't sure about anything. "I guess they'll see each other at some point, they can't avoid it for too long, but, who knows? Maybe it'll help? Maybe Rachel needs to see him and find a way to get over him for good?"

Kurt didn't sound so sure about that and Blaine wanted to tell him he didn't think that was the way things actually would work, but he decided it was pointless. Rachel lived there and Kurt was within his right to want to have his family over. Blaine would have to figure out a way to be with both of them to help them out in whatever they'd need and get Burt Hummel to like him, all at the same time.

* * *

><p>Even when the airport was complete and utter madness, Kurt had no trouble at all finding his family amongst the mass of people coming and going, pulling suitcases and rushing towards the nearest exit to find a cab. He was for once grateful his brother was sort of a freaking giant, because Finn's head was the first thing he noticed sticking up above the crowded hall where they were waiting to pick up their luggage.<p>

Kurt smiled and walked to them. Carole was arguing with Burt, who wanted to carry the biggest suitcase, as Finn tried to sneak it away from his step-father. Kurt felt a wave of warmth spreading to his chest and he realized he had missed those three people more than he had ever imagined he would.

"Dad!" He exclaimed, pushing through the last group of people that were separating them and causing the older man to turn around. Burt's face lightened up immediately and he forgot about the suitcase, focusing on grabbing his son's shoulders to pull him into a tight hug.

"Hey, kiddo," the way his father was holding onto him told Kurt that maybe the man wasn't dealing with the distance as well as he had thought. Burt moved away a step, without releasing the grasp on his shoulder to look at the boy attentively. "You look good."

"Thanks, dad, you look good, too," Kurt smiled and hugged Carole, his father's hand still not letting go. "I love your new coat, Carole."

"Thank you, honey, I thought of you when I bought it!" She laughed, happily. "Have you been eating right?"

"He probably had been eating better than all of us combined, mom, you know he's a health nut," Finn answered for him, also smiling, as he stepped forward to greet his brother.

"It's so good to see you all," Kurt felt tears of joy stinging his eyes, but managed to hold them back.

"We miss you back home, Kurt," Carole said sweetly, as Finn nodded his agreement.

"I miss you, too," Kurt bent down and grabbed one of the suitcases as his brother did the same with the other two. "Let's get out of here and find a quieter place where we can catch up, okay?"

"Sounds great," Burt replied as he followed him though the crowded halls straight to the huge glass doors through which they could already see snowy New York City. "Where's that boyfriend of yours?" He added, maybe a little too bluntly, looking around as if he was waiting to find a boy standing somewhere near wearing a huge sign with the words _Kurt's Boyfriend_ on it.

Kurt blushed a bit. He had waited a long time to have someone like Blaine in his life, someone he could feel proud to introduce to his father. "He's with Rachel. They offered to go grocery shopping for the things I need to cook for Christmas so I don't have to do it later and I can spend more time with you guys."

Finn cleared his throat and tried his best to sound nonchalant. "How's Rachel doing?"

Kurt pretended not to notice the eagerness in his brother's voice. "She's doing fine. A little stressed, but that's normal."

"Are we meeting up with them today?" Burt asked, as they walked across the parking lot, looking for Kurt's car.

"Yeah, we'll stop by your hotel to drop off everything and I was thinking maybe then we could go home and see if they're done shopping," Kurt explained, unlocking the doors. Finn put the luggage in the trunk as Carole slipped into the backseat and then he joined his mother. Burt sat in the front seat on the passenger side as Kurt turned the engine on. "Maybe we could all go grab some lunch together?"

"That's a great idea," Carole said enthusiastically.

As Kurt drove through the heavy traffic carefully, he pointed out the window to several places he wanted to show his parents and telling them a few things about his job and college. Burt talked a bit about the garage and Carole made a few comments about her own work, but Finn was mostly silent, staring at the city passing by them. He had been there twice before, but he was used to the simplicity of Lima and every time he came back it seemed as if he was entering a whole new world. Kurt knew that sensation very well, but he had grown accustomed to his new home by now.

They arrived at the hotel and Burt checked them in. Kurt helped them set up in their rooms. Finn went into his to leave his bag and Carole went into the bathroom to touch up her make up before going out again. Burt sat on the big queen size bed, as if he was testing it, and Kurt sat beside him. They had a nice view from the window next to the bed, a little park was just around the corner and it was like looking at a miniature winter wonderland.

"You look so different," Burt sighed and Kurt realized his father had been staring at him while he was distracted. He quirked an eyebrow.

"Really? How so?" Kurt asked, confused. Maybe he had lost a few pounds with the stress lately, but it wasn't much. He still wore his hair the same way and he knew his father wouldn't notice if his wardrobe had been altered in any way, though it hadn't.

"This is the first time I've looked at you and I don't see a kid," Burt answered, diverting his eyes towards the window. "It suddenly hit me that you're an adult now." Kurt smiled softly in response. "It's also the first time I've seen you being genuinely happy…"

Kurt's smile went wider. "Yeah, I'm pretty happy here."

"No one gives you trouble 'round here, right?" Burt said, frowning. He couldn't help being worried and he couldn't help wanting to protect his son even though now they lived far away.

"Not really. The old couple living next to us isn't exactly gay-friendly, but no one else really cares," Kurt shrugged. It still shocked him a bit that New York was nothing like Ohio, that he could walk hand in hand down the street with Blaine without having people turning around to stare at them in confusion or disgust. "I feel free here. I miss you and Carole and Finn a lot, but coming to New York was the best decision I've ever made."

"I can see that," Burt smiled, too and put his hand on Kurt's knee. "This kid, Blaine, is he good to you?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, amused. Of course his father would ask that. "Yes, dad, he's wonderful."

"You two moved pretty quickly, living together and all of that," he pointed out.

"I know, but we're doing just fine," Kurt was actually surprised at that too. Blaine and he had been together just for a few months, but nothing had ever seemed weird or awkward between them. "It wasn't the way I imagined my first relationship would develop, but Blaine needed help and Rachel and I were the only ones who could do something for him."

"So no regrets, then?" Burt questioned and Kurt rolled his eyes again.

"No, dad, no regrets," he assured him. He looked right into his father's eyes. "I really love him."

Burt nodded and smiled lightly. "Then I'm more than happy for you, son."

Kurt leaned down and rested his head on his father's shoulder just as Carole came out of the bathroom. They all put on their coats and scarves again and went to get Finn before leaving the hotel. Kurt felt overwhelmed with a feeling of bliss running all through him after his talk with Burt and he was anxious to introduce him to Blaine. He already knew his dad would love him.

He drove to his apartment still chatting animatedly with his family. He was eager to show his new home to them.

"We still want to buy some more furniture for the living room, but we don't have much space to do a lot," he explained to Carole as they went up the stairs of the building, Finn and Burt following closely behind. "Rachel saw a couple of things in a store down the block, but I'd forbid her to buy anything without my consent first." He opened the door with his key once they got there and let the three other go in before him. "Rach? Blaine? Are you guys home already?"

"I'm in the kitchen, honey!" Blaine called back and after a few seconds he came out, folding a few empty paper bags he had been obviously unpacking. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Kurt was not alone. "Oh. Uhm, hi, hello," he said nervously and Kurt smiled and walked to him.

"Relax," he whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek sweetly. "Blaine, I want you to meet Carole, Finn and my dad, Burt." He gestured towards each of them. "This is Blaine, everyone."

"We've heard so much about you!" Carole rejected the hand Blaine was offering to her and enveloped him in a hug instead. "I'm happy we finally get to meet you."

"Thank, Mrs. Hummel, I've heard a lot about all of you, too," Blaine replied politely, though he seemed a bit shocked about the display of affection from the woman.

"Oh, call me Carole, dear," she stepped aside, next to Kurt as Finn reached out his hand towards Blaine. "He's really cute, Kurt," she whispered confidingly and Kurt chuckled, silently agreeing with her.

"Hey, dude," Finn said and then he looked down. "Whoa. You're like, really, really tiny."

"Oh God, Finn, shut up, would you?" Kurt face-palmed, but Blaine was actually laughing quietly.

"Yeah, I really look tiny next to you. So, if you don't mind and in order to save a bit of self-esteem, I'm not going to stand so close to you," he answered, teasingly, making Finn laugh and pat his back. Blaine then turned to Burt, who had a serious expression on his face and looked terribly intimidating. He gulped. "He-hello, sir, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"So, you're Blaine," Burt stated as he shook his hand firmly and fast.

"Y-yes, I am," Blaine stuttered, insecure.

"Are you taking good care of my son?" Burt asked and Kurt had to face-palmed again.

"Dad, can you please not scare him? I've been telling him for days how kind and accepting you are and you're basically making me look like a liar," he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm just asking a question, is that so bad?" Burt put his hands in the air defensively.

Blaine felt the nerves eating him up inside, the urgent need to make this man like him. This was Kurt's father, the love of his life's father and he needed to prove himself to him. "I'm doing my best, sir, taking care of him. I really, really love Kurt, more than I've ever loved anyone. He's the most important thing I have in my life and I wouldn't hurt him. You need to know that," he stammered.

Kurt smiled and tugged at Blaine's hand to pull him closer, moved by his words. "Isn't he wonderful?" He muttered, resting his forehead against his temple.

Blaine relaxed when he saw Burt smiling, though it was obvious he was trying to fight that back. The older man patted him on the back and nodded, and it felt kind of like a blessing.

"So, are you guys going to give us a tour of your home or not?" He said in a less serious, more cheerful voice.

The tour, of course, didn't take too long. Blaine offered them something to drink and Kurt sneaked with him in the kitchen, leaving his family in the living room, chatting, with the excuse of helping his boyfriend.

"Hey, where's Rachel?" He asked immediately, as Blaine took an apple juice bottle from the fridge.

"She didn't want to come back home, she said she wasn't ready to see Finn just yet, so just in case, she went for a walk and she might go straight to work after that. I don't think we'll see her today," Blaine explained, taking three glasses from the cupboard.

"I feel like I'm banishing her from the apartment, I hate that," Kurt mumbled, leaning against the countertop. He watched how his boyfriend poured the juice into the glasses for a second. "How are you? I'm sorry about how my dad talked to you at first, he's really not that terrible, he just…"

"It's fine," Blaine kissed his cheek, grinning. "I understand. He's just making sure you're okay. He doesn't know me, so he needs to make me prove that I'm good for you."

"You're perfect for me," Kurt corrected, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

"I love you," Blaine whispered sweetly.

"I love you, too," he gave him a little kiss and gestured toward the living room. "Are you ready to go back in there?"

"I think I am," he answered and he carried the drinks for his boyfriend's family.

They stayed at the apartment for another two hours, chatting calmly. Carole was interested in knowing as much as she could about Blaine, and the boy seemed actually surprised about it, but answered all of her questions happily. A few minutes after they got back from the kitchen, when they were all sitting together talking, Kurt slipped is hand into one of Blaine's and it remained there, his thumb rubbing little circles on his palm every now and then, until they decided they were all hungry and it was better to go get some lunch.

"There's a lovely place near Central Park we go to sometimes, we definitely need to go there," Kurt said enthusiastically, as they went out to the cold street. Blaine took his hand again and pulled him closer. "They make the most delicious quiche ever, Carole, you need to try it…"

"Do you like sports, Blaine?" Burt asked as his son went on and on about the dishes he wanted his stepmom to try.

"Uhm, yeah I do," Blaine answered, still a bit self-conscious every time the older man talked directly to him.

"I promised Finn I'd take him to a basketball game," Burt said. "Kurt and Carole are going on some sort of crazy pre-Christmas shopping day tomorrow. Would you like to come with us?" He offered and Blaine could feel his heart skipping a beat.

"I'd love to," he replied, smiling. His hand tightened a bit in Kurt's, unable to show his excitement in any other way.

He still felt intimidated by the man walking next to him, but he also felt like he had a real chance to convince Burt Hummel that he was worthy of Kurt and he wasn't going to blow it.

* * *

><p>Rachel peeked from the kitchen when she heard the front door closing, but sighed in relief. It was only Blaine and Kurt and there was no sign of Finn or whatsoever.<p>

"Hey guys!" She said in her usual happy voice. "How was your day?"

Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and crossed the room towards his friend until he was holding her tight in his arms. "It was nice, but I felt bad that you weren't with us."

"Aww, Kurt," Rachel held back. To be honest, she had been needing a hug for the whole day. "It's okay, I had things to do."

"I know you're lying, you just didn't want to see Finn and I understand," Kurt answered. "I'm sorry if this makes you feel bad, Rach."

Rachel waited a few more seconds before pulling back. She was smiling, though it seemed a bit forced. "Did you guys have dinner already? I was thinking about having some Chinese food tonight."

"No, we didn't eat yet," Blaine replied, kissing the top of her head as he joined the other two.

"Great! Now we can have one of our take out and movies nights! I've been missing this!" Rachel clapped, happily as she rushed back into the kitchen to get the take out menu.

An hour later, the three friends were sitting together in the couch, watching_ The Sound of Music_ and eating their dinner. They sang along to every song and Blaine even stood up and grabbed Rachel by the hand to make her dance around the room, much to Kurt's amusement. Rachel laughed and laughed until she had a stomachache and then they all cuddled together until the movie ended.

"I love you, did you guys know that?" She whispered as the credits started rolling. "I love living with both of you."

"We love you, too," Blaine said, as Kurt reached for her hand. "And you know we're here for you if you need us."

"What you need is therapy," Kurt muttered and the other two turned to look at him. "Therapy, as in shopping. Carole and I are going on a Christmas shopping spree tomorrow and you should join us."

"You haven't bought your Christmas presents yet?" Rachel frowned, a little shocked.

"Of course I did. These will be extra purchases, you know, to exploit the season sales," Kurt rolled his eyes. "Besides, Blaine will go to a game with Finn and dad, and you don't work tomorrow. C'mon, this could be fun."

"Or torture," Rachel corrected, but she was smiling. "You're not tricking me, Kurt, I remember our experiences in the mall back in Ohio. You always made Mercedes and I follow you around, shopping until we were so tired we cried for you to stop."

"That sounds kind of terrifying," Blaine admitted, his eyes wide, silently thanking he didn't have to join his boyfriend the next day.

"Oh, shut up, both of you," Kurt crossed his arms over his chest. "You obviously don't understand the art of shopping."

"I don't think shopping can be considered art, honey," Blaine said sweetly, but glanced away trying to play it innocent when Kurt glared at him.

"I'd love to go, anyway," Rachel replied, snuggling against Blaine's side. "It'll keep my mind off things."

"Wonderful! Wear comfortable shoes, we'll be walking around a lot," Kurt picked up the remote control to turn the TV off as Rachel shared a quick look with Blaine in which she clearly showed she was already regretting it.

"How was meeting the boyfriend's family?" She asked, deciding a change of subject would be the best way to go. She nudged Blaine's foot with hers, smiling. "Did Burt threaten your life yet?"

"Oh, God, you're going to try and scare him, too?" Kurt let his head fall back against the back of the couch. "He already looked like a deer caught in the headlights all day."

"I didn't!" Blaine exclaimed, pouting.

"Yes, you did, but it's fine, sweetie, because you were amazing and there wasn't one single moment in which my father could've found a flaw in you," Kurt reached over Rachel to kiss his boyfriend's forehead.

They talked for hours, enjoying not having to wake up early the next day, enjoying not having homework to deal with or appointments for work. Rachel forgot for a while about how scared she was about seeing Finn soon as they laughed together into the cold, dark night.

* * *

><p>Without Kurt there, Blaine felt quite insecure. He sat next to Finn and looked down at the basketball court. People around them were all buzzing with excitement and he had to admit he was, too. His father had taken him to football games when he was a kid, but he had done it because he'd thought taking his son to places considered to be manly would turn Blaine straight.<p>

He almost stopped breathing when he realized Burt had taken him there because he was accepting him, because he was trying to bond with the guy who was dating his son.

Blaine hadn't thought about that until then.

"Would you like a soda, or a hot dog, Blaine?" Burt offered, leaning down from Finn's other side.

"No, sir, I'm fine, thank you," he answered quickly, still a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't be shy, kiddo, if you want something," Burt smiled slightly at him. "And stop calling me sir, I'm not that old, you know."

Blaine smiled back at him and was about to answer when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out to find a message from Kurt: _Have a nice time, sweetie, don't worry too much! Love you. _

He typed a reply quickly and turned to listen to Finn, who was trying to convince Burt not to buy a hot dog for himself.

"C'mon, Burt, you'll get me in trouble. Mom told me to keep an eye on you and if Kurt hears about it, he'll never speak to neither of us again," he was pleading, frowning. Burt rolled his eyes and sighed (Blaine wondered if Kurt had learned to that from his father or if Burt had picked it up from his son), but finally complied and only bought a diet soda.

Once the game started, the three men got lost in the action of it, cheering every now and then, celebrating particularly good plays. Blaine felt quite at ease and beamed brightly when Finn high-fived him; he had always wanted a brother to share this sort of stuff with, but he just wasn't lucky in the family department.

During one of the intermissions, they sat back and had a drink, talking. Burt told Blaine about his garage and Blaine told him about his job and school. Burt was surprised to hear Blaine was also from Ohio.

"Kurt said you play football at college, Finn," Blaine commented, intending to get to know Kurt's brother better. Finn had been pretty quiet and he was wondering if the big guy was just shy or if there was something troubling him.

"Yeah, I'm the quarterback," he answered, nodding slowly.

"He was the quarterback when he was at McKinley, too," Burt said, patting Finn's back proudly, and a real smiled appeared on the boy's lips. "Won them lots of games."

"You must be really good," Blaine said, also smiling. "I've always wanted to play, but I was the smallest guy in my class."

"Kurt's just a bit taller than you and he did it quite well," Finn shrugged.

Blaine thought he was going to choke on the soda he was drinking. "Kurt was on the football team?"

"He was the kicker," Burt replied, adjusting the baseball cap on his head. "He played the only game the team won that season."

Blaine blinked a few times, trying to imagine his boyfriend actually _agreeing_ to play and wearing the uniform, which he probably had considered tacky. "I didn't know that."

"It only lasted a week," Burt laughed. "But he was quite good at it."

"He was the best kicker we've had, actually," Finn admitted, thoughtfully. "He was a cheerleader, too, did you know that?"

This time Blaine really _did_ choke on his drink and had to lean down when a bit of it came out of his mouth. He almost spat all over the guy sitting in front of them, but managed to avoid it. "_What?_"

"Another phase he went through," Burt said nonchalantly, as if he was used to his son's eccentricities. "At least we can say he was good at everything he decided to do."

Blaine pushed the images of Kurt wearing a cheerleading outfit out of his mind as fast as he could. "Uhm, so, uhm…" _Get your shit together, Blaine, this is your boyfriend's father and brother you're sitting with_. "What are you majoring in, Finn?"

"Engineering," Finn replied, his eyes diverting towards the court, where the players were getting ready to start again. Blaine frowned, trying to study the other boy. Something told him Finn was feeling uneasy.

Blaine didn't think about it again until they were in the cab going back to his apartment hours later. They had stopped for a pizza after the game and had spent hours talking about the Buckeyes, which was the three men's favorite football team. Finn seemed to be interested in talking about music, but didn't get into the topic too much. Blaine couldn't help wondering why he was holding back so much. But once their day had ended and they were going to meet Kurt and Carole, he noticed the boy was even quieter than before, looking out the window, lost in thought. His eyes darted back and forth, taking in the city before him, but his face was inexpressive. Blaine pretended he didn't notice: he didn't know the guy that well, anyway, so maybe he was wrong. Nonetheless, he was planning to talk to Kurt about. Maybe he could help his brother with whatever it was bothering him.

It wasn't a shock to find the apartment was still empty. No one had expected Kurt to finish his shopping trip sooner than them, so they sat in the living room and turned the TV on, chatting comfortably as they switched channels.

Blaine felt relaxed. It was so easy being around Finn and Burt, so easy not worrying about appearances, about them judging him, about them not agreeing with who he was. It was nice to just sit there and talk about nothing and everything, in the comfort of his own home, waiting for his beautiful boyfriend to come back. It wasn't the first time in the last few months that Blaine had to stop and think how life could be pretty damn fantastic.

Burt was complaining about the movie Finn had chosen to watch when the others arrived. Blaine looked up and smiled happily at Kurt, but his smile vanished as soon as he saw Rachel.

Rachel came in, carrying a couple of bags and laughing at something Kurt was saying when she stopped in her tracks, her dark eyes fixed on Finn. The tension in the apartment was almost tangible as the two stared at each other. Blaine could feel Finn's stiff body next to him, as if all of Finn's reactions and actions suddenly converged into one. The boy was about to explode and Blaine finally understood: it was because of Rachel. The way Finn had been acting since he had arrived to New York was because of the anticipation of seeing his ex-girlfriend again.

"How was the game, boys?" Carole asked, trying to break the ice, forcing a smile on her face and speaking up with a cheerful tone.

"It was good," Burt grunted, uncomfortable.

"Blaine, we should show you everything we bought!" Kurt exclaimed, exaggeratedly excited, grabbing Rachel's arm with one of his hands and shaking a lot of bags in the other.

Blaine stood up quickly, taking the hint and opened his mouth to say something, _anything_, but never got the chance.

"Rachel," Finn's voice sounded weird, not at all like the tall boy's. The girl startled a bit. "Would you… would you go take a walk with me?" Finn looked at her and swallowed, visibly nervous. "Please," he added.

No one said a word for a whole minute and Blaine was sure the noise he was listening was the combined sound of six hearts beating out of control. At last, after what it seemed an eternity, Rachel nodded, very slowly.

"Sure," she said softly and Kurt took the bags she was carrying from her as Finn stood up and walked to the door. Rachel followed silently and went out when he opened up for her after putting his jacket on.

Once they were gone, the rest of them looked at each other, questioningly. Kurt sighed, and he was obviously a bit worried.

"I hope this doesn't end up in another night of crying," he said, frowning.

"Do you want me to go buy some ice-cream? I think we run out after her last meltdown," Blaine asked, still staring at the closed door.

Kurt put the bags down and walked to the couch, undoing his scarf and sinking down next to his boyfriend, who automatically put an arm around him. "I have candy hidden in our room in case of emergencies," he answered. "Did you have fun at the game?" Kurt asked, before resting his head on Blaine's shoulder.

"It was amazing," Blaine couldn't hold back the smile and he glanced briefly at Burt.

"Yeah, you definitely need to bring Blaine home next time you fly to Ohio so we can go see one of Finn's games," Burt said and Blaine felt a lump in his throat as his smiled widened.

Carole started asking Burt about what he'd had for dinner and Kurt took the opportunity to move his mouth to his boyfriend's ear.

"I told you he'd like you," he whispered quietly, before kissing that sweet spot on his neck that made Blaine shudder.

Blaine had to fight the urge to stand up and dance around the living room.

* * *

><p>Kurt was woken up with kisses on Christmas' morning. He cracked open one eye to see Blaine brushing his lips across his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his own lips. He smiled and responded to the kiss, both boys staring at each other with sleepy gazes.<p>

"Merry Christmas," Blaine whispered, not pulling apart.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," Kurt answered, which wasn't easy to do given that his boyfriend was biting on his lower lip. He moved his hands back to caress Blaine's back under the white cotton t-shirt he used to sleep, the tips of his fingers wandering over firm muscles and delicious skin.

He could feel Blaine's morning erection pushing against his thigh where they were pressed together under the blankets. His arousal grew stronger as the last corner of his mind that was still coherent thought about how nice it was to start the day like that, to have someone to wake up to. He loved Blaine so much sometimes he thought he was going to _die_. He'd never imagined love would be like that. He'd never imagined how much a man could mean to him.

Blaine was now placing open mouthed kisses on his neck, sucking lightly on his pulse point, enough to leave a little mark, but not to actually bruise him. "I can't get enough of you," he growled as he licked a short line down to his collarbone, opening the first two buttons of his pajama shirt.

Kurt smiled as he let his head drop back into the pillow, giving him better access. "You're still thinking about what my dad told you yesterday, aren't you?" He teased.

"Damn, Kurt, how come you neglected to mention you were a cheerleader?" Blaine asked. The tiny gap between their hips was almost torturous. "_And_ a football player?"

"I didn't think you'd be interested," Kurt gasped when he felt one of Blaine's hands sneaking under his clothes to pinch his nipples. "Believe me, I would've said something if I knew it was gonna make you to act like this."

They kept kissing, tongues battling for dominance, words forgotten for a while. Kurt could feel his breath hitching every time Blaine's fingers brushed his nipples, and the touch was never enough. He hooked one of his legs around the back of Blaine's to bring him closer. They fitted together perfectly, rocking slowly, almost tenderly against each other, looking for a bit of friction.

Ending the kiss so they could look each other in the eyes, Kurt felt that amazing wave of happiness washing all over him once again. Blaine smiled and rested his forehead against his boyfriend's, hazel looking into blue.

"I… oh gosh, I have something for you," Kurt moaned, as his hand travelled up Blaine's back until his fingers were tangled in the crazy, dark curls.

"Oh, yeah?" Blaine muttered, lazily, focused on the soft thrusts of their hips.

"I wanted to give it to you before we…- oh, damn, Blaine, a little harder, please," Kurt moved up to meet him, as he tried to force his brain to work for a bit longer. "Before Rachel wakes up and my family arrive because… because I don't know if you'll like it."

Blaine stilled his movements, sensing this was something sensitive for Kurt, because it wasn't usual to hearing his voice so insecure. He leaned down and nuzzled their noses together, eliciting a tiny sigh from the other boy. "I'm sure I'll love it, honey."

"You don't have to, uhm, you know, feel forced to… okay," Kurt swallowed and reached to the side, opening his nightstand drawer and searching inside. Blaine held himself with his elbows on the mattress, one on each side of Kurt's body and waited, wondering why was his boyfriend so nervous all of a sudden. Kurt finally seemed to find what he was looking for, but he kept it hidden with his hands, as he looked up at Blaine. "We can save it for later. Like, next Christmas, or the one after that, if that's what you want. We can… oh, damn it, what was I thinking? Forget it, this was a bad idea, Blaine…"

Blaine held him, half curious, half scared, but mainly interested in calming Kurt. "What is it?"

Kurt swallowed again before moving his hands away, leaving a little black box resting on his chest. Blaine stared down at it, feeling his eyes growing a bit wide, knowing exactly what the content of the little jewelry box was.

"Are you… are you going to propose, Kurt?" He asked, and he couldn't help the little shiver in his voice, if from excitement or fear, he couldn't tell.

"No!" Kurt nearly screams. "No, God, _no_. No, no, no. No, Blaine, no."

And Blaine just had to laugh at that because Kurt's way too adorable for his own good. "Alright, sweetie, I think we established that you're _not_ proposing." Blaine licked his lips, still feeling a bit nervous, wondering what he would find inside that box after all. He glanced at the other boy, tentatively, before undoing the little red ribbon and popping it open.

Two rings. Two elegant, silver bands resting against the white velvet.

"Promise rings," Kurt whispered, visibly fidgeting. "It doesn't mean I'm asking you to be my husband… I… thought we could, uhm…" he closed his eyes, breathing deeply and then, clearly mad at himself, shut the box and put it away. "You know, it's fine, I have another present for you, I'll give it to you later and I'm going to return these tomorrow when…"

"Kurt," Blaine stopped him, smiling softly. "Did you have any sort of speech for this moment or were you going to improvise?"

"No," Kurt answered, blushing. "I mean, yes, I wanted to say to you just how much I love you and how happy I am that I met you and that these past few months had been so wonderful and…" Fisting his hair in frustration, Kurt looks at him, Blaine's warm body still pressed against his. "I thought I'd give you something that could symbolize all that, something that could mean that I want this to last for as long as you'll have me…"

"I'll have you forever, then," Blaine couldn't resist the urge to kiss him, so he did just that, their lips brushing sweetly, just breathing in each other, feeling close, and happy and complete.

"Really?" Kurt asked, hopeful.

Blaine laughed and nodded. "Sometimes I think about it, you know. You and me and the future. I think how I want to be with you forever and then it _aches_, because forever doesn't seem long enough either…"

Kurt felt his eyes stinging with tears, but there's a wide, toothy smile on his lips. "I love you _so much_, Blaine."

"I love you, too, Kurt."

They kissed again because that seemed like the perfect thing to do, the perfect thing to show their feelings and how overwhelmed they were by them. The ring box was pressed between their chests and eventually Blaine moved back and glanced at it, after raising an eyebrow to Kurt, questioningly.

Kurt smiled, relaxed, his confident coming back to him. "Alright," he mumbled, taking the box. "Give me your hand."

Blaine extended his left hand while biting his lower lip to control the huge smile that was threatening to take over his whole face. Kurt took one of the rings and showed it to him.

"Can you see the inscription?" He asked and Blaine moved Kurt's hand so he could see it.

He frowned: _RWIB_.

"RWIB?" He asked in confusion.

"Do you remember how I told you I've always wanted to come to New York? How I always knew this was the perfect place for me, the place I needed to be in?" Kurt said, his eyes fixed on Blaine's.

"Yeah, I remember," Blaine tilted his head to the side, curious.

"Well, I was right," Kurt's smile was gorgeous and it lit up the whole bedroom. "Because I'm with you. Right. Where. I. Belong."

Blaine was speechless for a couple of seconds, as he fought back the tears and the lump forming in his throat. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or to smile, but he knew one thing: this was happiness. This was what he had been looking for so long.

"It's beautiful," he said, touched. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it," Kurt slid the ring on his finger and sighed in relief when it fitted perfectly. Then Blaine reached for the other one, which was identical, and slid it on Kurt's. They looked at each other before moving forward at the same time, eager for more kisses, for more love, for more future.

Very, very slowly, because they had all the time in the world, they took each other's clothes off, until they were fully naked, their bodies attracted to each other like magnets, needing to feel the warm, soft, perfect skin of one another.

"Kurt?" Blaine whispered, low, in his ear.

"Yes?" He said as he let his hands wander thoughtfully down Blaine's back, feeling the way his muscles contracted and then up again to get his fingers tangled with his hair.

"Would you make love to me?"

The pounding of Kurt's heart was so frantic it echoed in the walls around them. "Is that what you want?"

"I'm ready if you're ready," Blaine used his lips to slowly trace the outline of Kurt's jaw.

Of course Kurt was ready. He was perfectly happy with all of the things they had been doing together, but just the idea of being _inside_ of Blaine made him feel dizzy with desire and he could barely wait to know what it felt like.

"I'm ready," he assured him and they smiled at each other before sinking in one more kiss, much more passionate, without any sort of restraints because now they knew they wanted to be together, they wanted to share their lives, they wanted everything.

Kurt turned Blaine around until he was lying on his back with Kurt on top. Blaine spread his legs and Kurt started thrusting his hips into his, letting their cocks rub together, getting some friction to get rid of some of the tension of their first time. They moaned freely in between kisses and Blaine caressed Kurt's pale, soft skin, loving the sensation of it under his fingertips.

Kurt started going down his chest, leaving a trail of kisses everywhere: lips, cheekbones, jaw, neck (he spent some time there, actually; he just loved the spot right behind his ear), collarbone, chest. He paid attention particularly in sucking, licking and nibbling at Blaine's nipples while carefully listening to the delicious sounds his boyfriend was making.

"Get the lube," he whispered as he circled his belly button with his tongue and Blaine started panting, but did his best to try and obey.

By the time Blaine found the little bottle, Kurt was busy sucking his hip bones. The mix of pain and pleasure was so wonderful, Blaine had to take a deep breath and steady himself. He felt Kurt retrieving the bottle from his hands, and he noticed he had been holding it way too tightly.

Kurt looked up and saw Blaine with his eyes closed and his lips parted, air going in and out of his lungs noisily. He poured some lube onto his fingers and let it warm as he kissed the inside of his boyfriend's thigh. Their sexual experience was pretty similar and though Kurt thought he would freak out when this moment came, he wasn't. He was confident and calm, because he knew they'd learn about this stuff together. Blaine would guide him as much as he would guide Blaine.

He leaned down again and started kissing his way towards Blaine's erection. Blaine whimpered and shivered, trying to control his impulses.

Kurt gave Blaine's length little kitten licks along the underside, making his way to the tip of it, already leaking a bit of pre-come. Blaine started panting harder, fisting the sheets and letting his head fall back in anticipation. Putting his lips around it, Kurt sucked on the head and Blaine couldn't suppress a loud moan.

Hollowing his cheeks and using his tongue, Kurt felt the impossibly sweet taste of his boyfriend numbing his senses. He started circling Blaine's entrance and the moans only got more desperate. Knowing the boy was now consumed by the pleasure and as he took a bit more of him into his mouth, Kurt pushed the first finger halfway in, feeling the tightness and the resistance in Blaine's body and trying not to come just by thinking how it would feel to bury himself right in. Blaine's breath had hitched a bit, but he didn't show any signs of being in too much pain. Kurt gave him some time and busied himself sucking a little more enthusiastically in the meantime. He honestly hoped Rachel was deeply asleep because Blaine was being louder than ever.

He started moving the finger in and out carefully, working Blaine open just enough to slid a second one inside.

"Y-you're gonna have to stop sucking or I'll come," Blaine managed to say, his voice hoarse and strange. Kurt reluctantly released his cock, letting it fall out of his mouth. Blaine whined at the loss as Kurt moved up slowly until he was on top of the other boy. Blaine leaned up to kiss him immediately.

Kurt kept scissoring him and crooking his fingers a bit, looking for that magic spot that would make Blaine forget about any sort of remaining discomfort. The heat surrounding him was _too much_ and he couldn't wait to thrust his own cock inside him. He was so hard it hurt, but he wanted to this right for Blaine. He wanted to make it amazing for the both of them.

"More, please, _please_, Kurt," Blaine groaned, moving his hips up to meet Kurt's fingers. The slight change of angle made Kurt feel his fingertips brushing against a nub. "OH MY GOD, KURT, AGAIN!"

If it weren't because he was desperately turned on, Kurt would've laughed at Blaine's urgent reaction and the way he was desperately moving towards his fingers, trying to get him to touch his prostate again. Kurt moaned in frustration, his cock throbbing and untouched, as he pushed three fingers in this time, reaching successfully for that knot of nerves a few more times.

"I can't," Blaine cried. "I can't wait anymore, Kurt, please."

"I don't want to hurt you, baby, let me stretch you some more," Kurt answered as his cock twitched like asking him if he was crazy and _get in him for once, you idiot_.

"No, I'm fine, it feels so perfect," Blaine moved his hips up again and shivered in pleasure.

Kurt swallowed and bit his lip. He couldn't wait either. He was going to come just from looking at his lust-consumed boyfriend begging for him. "Okay."

He took his fingers out, causing Blaine to whimper, and reached for the condom. He put it on as he stroked himself a little bit, hissing. Blaine was watching him, his hazel eyes completely blown and a hungry expression on his beautiful face.

"God, Kurt, stop teasing and get in me," he growled, as he spread his legs farther.

_Well, shit, that's hot_, Kurt thought as he positioned himself. He rubbed the head against the swollen opening and Blaine moaned even more. Swallowing hard, Kurt hoped he didn't screw this up, and then pushed inside, feeling Blaine's muscles stretching around his cock and it felt _so damn good_. He was as careful as he could be, trying to allow Blaine to get used to the intrusion and once he was buried all the way in, he stopped.

Blaine's eyes were closed and his jaw was tight. Kurt started placing kisses on every inch of him that he could reach, trying to help him to relax and forcing himself to stay still and wait. Blaine started kissing back after a couple of minutes, his hands going down his back, keeping him close, until they got to the curve of his ass, where they stayed pressed.

"Doing okay?" Kurt asked with a rough voice. He wouldn't have imagined how wonderful it could be to be this close to someone and it was taking all of him not to start thrusting hard and look for his own release.

"I can't believe how perfect this feels," Blaine answered, sucking at the little spot under Kurt's ear. "You fit so well..."

"Like we were made for each other," Kurt kissed his forehead before letting his head fall on the crook of Blaine's neck and groaning. "Oh, God, tell me I can move now."

Blaine shifted his hips and Kurt moaned. "Yeah, yeah, please, move now."

Kurt began to rock against him slowly, retreating until only the head of his cock was still inside, before pushing back in. The room was soon filled with nothing but the sounds of pleasure and skin slapping against skin. It was as if all the snow outside had melted, as if winter didn't exist anymore. They could only feel the warmth coming out of each other, as if they were sunbathing in the most perfect day of summer.

Blaine screamed when Kurt found his prostate again and his legs flew immediately up, tangling around Kurt's waist and pushing him back into that direction until he could only feel the pulsing pleasure of that tiny nub deep inside of him.

"Oh God, _Kurt_, harder, right there, baby, please," Blaine cried, matching the movement of Kurt's hips with his.

"_Blaine_," the name came out of Kurt's lips strangled, broken, needy. He was so close...

Wrapping his hand around Blaine's cock, Kurt started stroking him fast and hard, wanting for Blaine to fall over the edge before jumping himself.

It didn't take much longer. One hard thrust against his prostate and a long stroke to his cock and Blaine was coming, spilling himself in thick pearly strings on Kurt's hand and his own stomach. His body contracted around Kurt as he screamed his orgasm out. Kurt held back as much as he could, he didn't want to miss one second of Blaine while he was shivering and moaning and so, so free. But then everything was too much, Blaine was too beautiful to resist and the heat was too intense, and the pressure was too delicious and Kurt let go. He came inside of his boyfriend, panting, screaming, losing his mind. Blaine kept him close and allowed him to ride the orgasm while frantically moving in and out until that was also too much. Kurt pulled away, Blaine hissed at the loss, his muscles clenching around emptiness and they rolled on their sides, holding each other in their arms, sharing sloppy, lazy kisses in between smiles just as lazy.

"I love you," Blaine said in nothing but a whisper.

"I love you," Kurt repeated, nuzzling against his neck. He started giggling after a few seconds. "We need to try that the other way around next time."

Blaine grinned. "Give me ten minutes and we can try it now."

Kurt growled, feeling pretty tempted. He tightened his grip around his boyfriend. "We can't. I need to start cooking before everyone arrives."

"Damn Christmas," Blaine mumbled and Kurt laughed.

"You seemed to like Christmas not too long ago," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, that was before realizing we could've spent the day in bed instead," he kissed Kurt's pale shoulder. "You're amazing, did you know that?"

"You mentioned it a couple of times before," Kurt replied sheepishly. "And a few of those times were this morning."

"Well, you are," Blaine shrugged. "How much time do we have until we have to get up?"

"None," Kurt whined. "We need to shower and I could really use a coffee before starting working in the kitchen."

"Let's go turn the coffee machine on and we'll shower together while it gets done," Blaine proposed, already standing up and Kurt glanced at him, still amazed at the sight of Blaine's beautiful naked body.

"Who says I'll shower with you?" Kurt asked with a hoarse voice that betrayed him.

"It's Christmas. It's like a present," Blaine pouted.

Kurt arched an eyebrow, but it wasn't convincing either. "I already gave you a Christmas present. Two, actually."

Blaine got suddenly serious and kneeled on the bed next to him, cupping his face in his hands sweetly. "And both were the best presents I could've asked for."

They kissed again but had to pull away before it got too far. Kurt smiled and tugged on Blaine's hand, both getting out of bed and putting their underwear on. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist from behind and kissed his neck as they left the bedroom, giggling softly and wanting nothing more but to be close.

A loud noise, as if someone was clearing their throat, got their attention. They both looked up, smiles fading from their faces when they found Burt and Carole sitting on the couch and Finn pacing around the living room, obviously uncomfortable. Rachel was handing them cups of coffee. Carole and she were the only ones biting back a grin.

"Oh, ah, hey, hello!" Kurt said and he prayed internally to whatever greater power there might be that they had _just_ gotten there. He noticed Blaine's hands tightening and dragging him a little closer to his body. He felt the sticky sensation of drying come against his back and he cursed internally.

Rachel picked up the blanket they always kept on the back of the couch for those nights where they cuddled and watched movies and threw it at them. Kurt grabbed it and covered himself and Blaine with it, wondering why they had ventured outside the bedroom just in their underwear…

"Good morning, son," Burt grunted, avoiding looking at either of the boys in the eyes.

"You're here early. Not that I mind," Kurt mumbled quickly. "I love having you guys here, it's wonderful, but… you're here early. Why are you here so early?"

"I thought you could use some help in the kitchen, sweetie," Carole answered, her lips trembling, still trying to control her smile.

"We could've waited in the hallway," Finn muttered softly, never stopping his pacing, not even when Rachel handed him a cup of coffee, too. "Or in the street. Or back in the hotel…"

"Oh, my God," Blaine groaned and hid his face on Kurt's neck.

"Yeah, that sounds a lot like what you were saying a couple minutes ago," Burt gibbered.

"Dad!" Kurt was pretty sure his face was completely red by now and his family _wasn't helping at all_. "Can we just… not talk about this?"

"Please," Finn begged. Rachel chuckled and gave them a knowing look. Kurt didn't like that look. At all.

"I'm gonna take a shower," Blaine said in a low voice, embarrassed. No one said anything and Kurt didn't move. "Kurt, could you… uhm, walk me to the bathroom?"

"Oh, yes!" Kurt jumped a little, and took the few steps towards the bathroom door with him. "I'll get you some clean clothes in a minute."

"Thank you," Blaine answered, the tiniest smile on his lips. This was _not_ the way he had imagined the afterwards of his first time with his boyfriend would be like. He got into the bathroom and shut the door.

"I'll go get dressed," Kurt said as he hurried back into his room.

Once he was ready, he gave Blaine some clothes and turned to his family. Carole was placing some presents under the small tree he and Blaine had put together a couple of days ago. Burt had turned the TV on and he and Finn were watching something. Kurt could see Rachel wandering around in the kitchen.

"Why did you let them in?" He asked her as he walked behind her and the girl jumped a few inches in the air, startled.

"What did you want me to do?" She half whispered.

"I don't know, Rachel!" Kurt covered his face with his hands. "Shit, I can't believe my dad heard me have sex with my boyfriend for the first time!"

"Oh my God, Kurt!" She started clapping excitedly and Kurt had to use all of his willpower not to murder her. "Your first time? You have to tell me everything!"

"I am _not_ saying a word, Rachel Berry!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "That's fine, I've heard most of it anyway."

"I hate you sometimes," Kurt sighed.

"You don't," she smiled.

Kurt blinked a couple of times. He was missing something. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because it's Christmas. Christmas makes me happy," she answered, shrugging, as she opened the cupboard to put away some plates and glasses she had been drying.

"You're a Jew, you never celebrate Christmas, Rachel," Kurt pointed out. She was still smiling widely. Kurt frowned. "What happened with Finn last night?"

He almost regretted asking that when Rachel suddenly crushed him in a tight hug. He thought for a moment she was about to break his goddamn spine, but then she released him to look at him in the eyes.

"We're back together!" She announced, smiling even more, if that was even possible. "We're going to try a long distance relationship for a while, while he tries to figure out what he wants to do with his life, and he might transfer to a school in New York next semester."

"Rachel, that's fantastic!" Kurt was genuinely happy for his friend. The girl deserved some happiness and his brother did too. It was clear that they were perfect for each other, even if they were so different. And he wouldn't mind seeing both of them smile some more, for a change.

He started working on lunch while Rachel told him everything about her talk with Finn the night before. They were joined by Carole a few minutes later, who assured the girl she was happy that they had decided to get back together.

"Since you two moved here, he hasn't been the same," she commented, chopping some vegetables side by side with Kurt. "I think he regretted the decision he made to stay in Ohio. But I don't think he's made for New York either."

"We were all a little lost at first," Kurt said. "It's such a big, drastic change. A cow town like Lima doesn't really prepare you for a city like this one."

"Well, you're doing pretty well, hon-… is that a ring, Kurt?" Carole stopped in her tracks, staring at Kurt's hand.

"Oh, yeah, it's a ring," the boy couldn't hold back his smile.

"You got _engaged_?" Rachel squealed.

"Are you crazy? Of course not, we're too young," Kurt rolled his eyes and kept working on the food. "I got Blaine and I promise rings as a Christmas present."

The two women exchanged a quick glance before releasing loud _awww's_ and hugging Kurt, who immediately dropped the knife he was using to avoid accidents. After a few seconds, he started laughing, Carole and Rachel's excitement was too contagious and the truth was Kurt Hummel was incredibly happy, so why not laugh and share that happiness with the two women he loved the most?

* * *

><p>Blaine opened up the door of the bathroom just when Finn was getting up of the couch and going into the kitchen. Burt looked away from the TV screen and right at the boy standing uncomfortably in front of him. Blaine took a deep breath and walked towards him.<p>

"Mr. Hummel, I'm so sorry, I wish I could…" he started, as he took a seat next to the older man.

"It's okay, Blaine, you don't have to say anything," Burt said, his eyes back on whatever game it was he was watching.

"But I'm so embarrassed. We shouldn't have…" Blaine was desperate. Kurt's father had listened to them having sex for the first time. He had met this man only a couple days ago and he was already giving him reasons to hate him.

"Blaine, I'm telling you, you don't need to say more," Burt put the remote down by his side. "I'm not dumb, you know. You two live together, you share a bed, you've been dating for a few months now and, more importantly, you're both adults. If this had happened at my house, while Kurt was still in high school, I would've kicked your asses. But not now. It's not my place to say anything."

"I'm still sorry," Blaine swallowed, nervously. "I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of him. I love Kurt, sir."

"I know you do," the smile on Burt's lips was warmer than Blaine had ever expected and it shocked him at first. "I've seen you two together and it's easy to see how crazy you are for each other."

"I just…" Blaine didn't mean to say the next words, but for some reason, they went out on their own. "This is the first time I'm going to have a real Christmas with people who accept me and love me for who I am. I didn't want to screw it up."

Burt turned the TV off and faced Blaine. The boy panicked for a minute but relaxed when Burt put a hand on his shoulder.

"You didn't screw anything up, son," Blaine felt his heart bursting and a lump in his throat. Not even his own father had ever talked to him so kindly.

"You're a great man, Mr. Hummel," he muttered, a bit overwhelmed.

Burt laughed softly. "So are you, Blaine."

Kurt came out of the kitchen and looked at the two of them, frowning and with evident worry on his face. "Is everything alright here?"

"Yes, just talking to your man," Burt sat back and turned the TV on.

"Were you threatening him?" Kurt said, annoyed. "Blaine, don't believe a word he says. He doesn't have a gunshot, or a crossbow, or…"

"He wasn't threatening me, sweetie," Blaine chuckled. He stood up. "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"

"Please. I want to take a quick shower, but I need someone to watch Rachel for me," he said, rolling his eyes. "She tried to throw away the duck twice already."

"I'm on it," Blaine kissed his boyfriend's cheek before turning back to his father. "Thank you, Mr. Hummel."

"No problem, kid," Burt nodded. "And it's Burt, by the way."

Blaine's smile got even brighter and then he left. Burt turned to his son to find him staring right back at him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What?"

Kurt took the seat Blaine had just left and put a hand on his father's knee. "Dad, he's really great. I know you may not think that now, but…"

"Believe me, Kurt, I don't think that about him. I don't care what you guys do as a couple as long as you love each other and as long as you take care of each other, okay?" Burt said, his eyes fixed on his son's.

Kurt smiled and hugged him tight. "I missed you so much, dad."

"I missed you more, kiddo," Burt kissed his chestnut hair.

Kurt paused for a moment before adding something else, in just a whisper. "You know, it means a lot to Blaine when you take a few minutes and talk to him. He was so excited about the game yesterday, he was like a five year old going to the candy store."

"His parents didn't call him for Christmas?" Burt asked quietly.

Kurt sighed sadly. "No. He hasn't heard anything from them since he got here."

Burt didn't say anything. Kurt stayed with him for a few more minutes before heading to the bathroom.

Back in the kitchen, Blaine didn't have a thing to worry about because Rachel was too busy hugging Finn to try and ruin Kurt's Christmas lunch.

* * *

><p>Once the food was in the oven and all they had left to do was wait, they all got together in the living room to open the Christmas presents. Burt, Carole and Finn were squeezed together on the couch, Rachel was sitting on her boyfriend's legs, and Kurt and Blaine were on the floor, Blaine pressed against Kurt's chest and the atmosphere around them was nothing but warm, affectionate and joyful. They were a big happy family and Blaine couldn't stop smiling.<p>

Kurt received a gift card from Finn (they'd had too many fiascos regarding presents in the past), a new pair of Marc Jacobs boots from his dad and Carole and a Broadway photography book from Rachel. Blaine took the opportunity to give Kurt his present when everyone else was distracted exchanging theirs.

"Uhm, okay," he mumbled, insecure. It was adorable, Kurt noticed. "Compared to yours, this is pretty silly."

"I'm sure it's not," Kurt said sweetly, brushing Blaine's cheekbone with his thumb.

Biting his lip, Blaine took a white envelope out of his jeans pocket and gave it to Kurt. Kurt, curiously, opened it and looked at the card inside.

"Blaine… this is a day spa," he muttered.

"Yes. I told you it was silly," Blaine actually looked sad. "I thought about how stressed you've been lately, with work and school and I though how you'd taken care of me even though you were busy. And I thought it could be good for you. It's on that place on the fifth avenue that's always in your magazines. You can have all the skin care treatments you want and massages and stuff." He frowned, thoughtful. "You don't have to use it if you don't like it. I'll take you out tomorrow and I'll buy whatever you want. Maybe a new coat or…"

"Blaine, stop talking," Kurt grabbed his boyfriend's chin between two fingers and moved him until their faces were very, very close. "This is wonderful."

"Seriously?" Blaine's eyes opened wide and a little smile grew on his lips.

"It's perfect, really," Kurt kissed him and for a second he wished his family and Rachel would disappear so he could drag his beautiful boy back to bed. He moved his mouth right next to his ear. "Maybe when I'm done with my spa day we can have a date and I'll give you some massages and rub some lotion on you, too."

Blaine growled deep in his throat, but luckily no one heard him. Kurt was now looking at him with shiny, playful blue eyes. "Deal." In need of a distraction before his body started reacting to Kurt's words, he grabbed a little, square, flat green box from under the tree. "I'm even more embarrassed about this one."

Kurt rolled his eyes and untied the ribbon on top of it. When he opened the box, he found a disc with Blaine's handwriting of it and it said _Merry Christmas, Kurt. I love you, B_. "What is this? Can I play it?"

"Oh, God, no. Not in front of everyone," Blaine begged. "I recorded myself singing, which sounds so much more stupid when you say it out loud than when I came up with the idea."

"It's not stupid! Stop knocking your own presents!" Kurt exclaimed. "What did you sing?"

"Just some songs that make me think of you," Blaine brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen on to Kurt's forehead. "They're all beautiful, just like you."

"Cheesy!" Finn groaned from the couch, only to be smacked in the head by Carole and Rachel at the same time. "Hey!"

"He's right, I'm so cheesy," Blaine blushed, but laughed as he sat back against Kurt's chest one more time. Kurt wrapped his arms around him, keeping him close and burying his nose on the dark curls on top of his head, taking in his scent.

"I love that you're cheesy," Kurt whispered.

"That's cheesy, too, dude," Finn commented before being smacked once again by the two women next to him. "Ouch! Stop!"

They finished opening the rest of the presents before Kurt sighed and rubbed Blaine's back before pushing him away gently. "I need to go check on the food, I think it might be ready now."

"I'll help you, honey," Carole said, standing up with Kurt and the two of them disappeared into the kitchen.

Blaine started picking up the presents and tidying up a bit. Rachel and Finn went to set the table and Burt stayed behind and helped Blaine a bit, though the boy insisted he could just relax and watch more TV or wait until lunch was ready.

"Stop trying to impress me, kid," Burt teased with a smile and patted Blaine's back.

The kitchen table was too small for all of them, but they squeezed together. When Blaine got there after finishing in the living room, followed by Burt, who took a seat between Carole and Finn, he stopped at the door and watched as Kurt put the duck down on the center of the table, while Rachel asked for someone to pass the salad. It was loud and crowded, but they were all smiling and it suddenly hit him. It suddenly hit Blaine what Kurt had been talking about that morning when he gave him his ring. He understood what his boyfriend had said about belonging somewhere, and when Kurt extended his hand to take his and guide him to his seat, when their fingers touched, when he saw Rachel smiling at him from the corner of his eye, when Kurt put his hand on his knee under the table and sat closer, when he saw this beautiful family, the family he was being welcomed to, gathered around him, he just knew. This, here and now was the place he had been looking for his entire life.

Without knowing if he wanted to laugh or cry in joy, Blaine started eating, while moving his hand down his leg to meet Kurt's and let their fingers intertwine. Kurt rubbed his thumb up and down a few times, almost soothingly, as they both were saturated in the warm feeling of being home, right where they belonged.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you guys enjoyed this story. I had a lot of fun writing it, as you probably already noticed, since this was supposed to have only <em>one<em> chapter. I look forward to know what you thought of it, so please review!**

**Once again, I could've not written this without my amazing Beta, Wutif. She's so awesome. If I could have any beta in this world, I'd still have her.**

**And a huge THANK YOU to Jeanne for providing the idea for this story. As I already said, you can drop by my ask box in Tumblr (I'm heartsmadeofbooks) to leave ideas and suggestions, like she did. This is dedicated to her.**

**If you're wondering what's next, my answer is CrissColfer. I have several ideas going around and around in my head, and all of them are CrissColfer, so I hope you guys come back to read whatever it is I end up writing soon :)**

**Thank you again for reading, love you all x**


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